Participative Processes as a Chance for Developing Ideas to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap Concerning Sustainable Diets

Leonie Fink, Angelika Ploeger and Carola Strassner
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Leonie Fink: Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, University Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Angelika Ploeger: Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, University Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Carola Strassner: Department of Food Nutrition Facilities, Münster University of Applied Sciences, 48149 Münster, Germany

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Sustainable diets are drivers and results of sustainable food systems. Therefore, they are crucial for improving our global diet-related problems. When trying to adopt sustainable diets, people often struggle with the gap between their good intentions and their actual behavior. Here we see a need for support. To understand people’s needs and what could help them, it stands to reason that they can be directly involved in the development processes for appropriate ideas. On that account, we conducted six workshops in different German cities from September to December 2016 with 82 participants in total. We collected data by letting participants generate ideas to bridge the intention-behavior gap. The qualitative data was then coded in internal (168) and external factors (989). Analyzing data shows that the higher numbers of external factors offer a wider range of aspects that contribute to closing the intention-behavior gap from the participant’s point of view. We discuss whether the external factors such as availability, advertising, pricing, and education about food and nutrition may be a prerequisite for a broad mass of people to practice a more sustainable diet.

Keywords: sustainable diets; diet adoption; sustainable food system; intention-behavior gap; citizen participation; innovation workshop (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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