Future trends in sustainable food consumption include the emergence of short food supply chains and growing interest in local food products. Among the drivers are the more urgent sustainability expectations, the emphasis on environmental and social responsibility, and the changing consumer needs, of which the desire for healthy and quality products, curiosity, uniqueness, and experience are the most prominent drivers. Today’s customers are becoming more aware and open to culinary discoveries and exotic delights. In this study, we investigated the importance of product attributes related to local products, and the motivational factors that determine purchase intentions. The significance of our work lies in the fact that we have studied young consumers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. A quantitative consumer survey was conducted using a hybrid data collection method on a sample of 1756 respondents aged between 18 and 45 years. The questionnaire focused on product features, intrinsic and extrinsic motivational elements, and demographic characteristics. The results of our study provide strong evidence that the features associated with local products include but are not limited to the following: freshness, high quality, nutritional value, reliability, safety, evoking domestic flavours, naturalness, being healthy, environmentally friendly, etc. The motivational elements were grouped into four factors: hedonism, curiosity, nutritional value, and tradition. The main reasons for young respondents purchasing local food were taste and curiosity. Based on the results of the cluster analysis, we formed three groups having different features and different motivations for purchasing local products. Moreover, we had the opportunity to understand the attitudes and perceptions of young people towards buying local products. A key result of our study is that the “value-creators” segment considers local products to be healthy and nutritious.

As a lifestyle and consumer trend, the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) has been growing in popularity worldwide. The LOHAS is followed by a consumer group that is characterised by consumer attitudes and behaviours focusing on health and sustainability, that is increasingly concerned about global problems and challenges, and that follows trends related to sustainability, such as health and environmental consciousness. In addition, this group strives for a sense of naturalness, aims to behave ethically, and seeks to hold authentic and individualistic values. The objective of this research is to explore how young people today relate to the components of the LOHAS model, how the different characters respond, and what their perceived values are. We are also looking for answers pertaining to whether clusters may be formed based on the examined factors. In our study, we surveyed 357 Hungarian respondents, who are members of Generation Z. As a method of data analysis, descriptive statistical methods, correlation analyses, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and the persona profiles were designed using the design thinking method. Based on the factors of the LOHAS model, three separate groups may be ascertained within Generation Z: personas that fit the LOHAS, personas that could fit the LOHAS, and personas that do not fit LOHAS.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the national economies of the EU member states. This economic activity has an inevitable environmental impact; however, environmental performance indicators are mostly measured at larger companies. Since the ecological footprint (EF) is a suitable measure of unsustainability, this paper considers it as a measure of the environmental impact of SMEs. An EF calculator for SMEs was developed that is freely available online, and it is a methodological innovation per se. Our previous research projects highlighted that the calculator must be easy-to-use and reliable; therefore, the calculator considers only the common, standardizable, and comparable elements of EF. Our results are based on validated ecological footprint data of 73 Hungarian SMEs surveyed by an online ecological footprint calculator. In order to validate and test the usefulness of the calculator, interviews were conducted with respondents, and results were also checked. The paper presents benchmark data of ecological footprint indicators of SMEs obtained from five groups of enterprises (construction, white-collar jobs, production, retail and/or wholesale trade, and transportation). Statistical results are explained with qualitative data (such as environmental protection initiatives, business models, etc.) of the SMEs surveyed. Our findings could be used as a benchmark for the assessment of environmental performance of SMEs in Central- and Eastern Europe.

Most research on sustainable small-scale local producer lifestyles emphasises healthy food production but lacks the integration of mental and spiritual well-being into a holistic concept of a healthy lifestyle. This study explores the motives behind the production activity of producers engaged in sustainable food production in several western Hungarian sub-regions, aiming to identify their attitudes and motivations. The small-scale entrepreneurial mindset encompasses needs beyond physical and ethical aspects, such as involvement, socio-cultural attachment to the past, tradition, nature, place, and local culture. An online questionnaire was conducted with 73 local producers in the second quarter of 2024. The results of the factor and cluster analyses were used to classify the producers into two clusters: the “Value-Creator” and the “Proud” clusters. The main features of these two clusters were illustrated in persona profiles. The “Value-Creator” cluster, mainly women, feels a strong connection to the local community and views sustainable production as a lifestyle choice. The “Proud” cluster, consisting of young men, focuses on the quality and uniqueness of their products. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of sustainable production by exploring producers’ intrinsic motivations and lifestyle choices. The findings could also inform other entrepreneurial projects, such as urban initiatives.

In addition to studying the nature and consumer perception of local products, the study explores consumer motivations of young consumers ...

A fenntartható élelmiszer-fogyasztás jövőbeli trendjei közé tartozik többek között a rövid élelmiszer-ellátási láncok terjedése, amely párosul a fogyasztói magatartás megváltozásával: például a termékinformációk iránti növekvő érdeklődés, a helyi termelők és a helyben előállított élelmiszerek iránti bizalom. A szakirodalom egyre többet foglalkozik a helyi vagy alternatív élelmiszerekkel, amelyek a vásárlói „fekete doboznak” nevezett fogyasztói magatartás problémáját kvizsgálják. Jelen cikk célja, hogy azonosítsa a fiatalok egészséges és minőségi termékek vásárlásához kapcsolódó legjelentősebb mozgatórugóit, ezek a kíváncsiság, az egyediség és a tapasztalat. Kutatásunk célja, hogy a figyelmet kifejezetten a fiatal generációkra irányítsuk, mivel korábbi kutatások szerint ez a szegmens a leginkább nyitott a fenntartható élelmiszer-fogyasztásra. Kvantitatív vizsgálatot végeztünk 18 és 45 év közötti válaszadókkal. Az online kérdőív a termékjellemzőkre, a belső és külső motivációs elemekre, valamint a demográfiai jellemzőkre összpontosított. A tanulmány eredményei támogathatják a vezetői döntéshozatalt, és további tudományos kutatások alapjául szolgálhatnak.JEL-kódok: A13, F64, M21, O13, P46