Sustainable Consumption in Context: A Cross-Cultural Study of Social Representations

Franzisca Weder, Urša Golob and Klement Podnar ()
Additional contact information
Franzisca Weder: Department of Business Communication, Vienna University of Economics and Business, 1020 Wien, Austria
Urša Golob: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Klement Podnar: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: This study explores how consumers in developed and developing countries perceive sustainable food consumption and how these perceptions are shaped by local contexts. Using the theory of social representations, which frames sustainability as a system of values, ideas, and practices, we conducted a mixed-methods analysis of data from online focus groups in ten countries. The results reveal significant differences between sustainability frontrunners in developed countries and consumers in developing countries. Consumers in developed countries focus on immanent representations, linking sustainability to concrete practices such as recycling, buying organic products, and brand awareness. In contrast, consumers in developing countries adopt more transcendent views, emphasizing moral responsibility, tradition, and collective well-being, and often expecting government regulation to drive change. Barriers such as high cost, lack of knowledge, and skepticism reflect underlying socio-economic inequalities, particularly in developing contexts. The study highlights how global sustainability norms interact with local realities, revealing mismatches that limit the effectiveness of universal approaches. These findings underscore the need for context-sensitive policies and strategies that address local barriers while remaining consistent with global sustainability goals. More broadly, this research underscores the necessity of culturally tailored approaches to promote equitable and inclusive socio-ecological transformations.

Keywords: sustainable consumption; social representations; food consumption practices; cross-country differences; SDGs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1531/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1531/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1531-:d:1589747

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().