Baldi, L., Trentinaglia, M. T., Peri, M., & Panzone, L. (2024). Nudging the acceptance of insects-fed farmed fish among mature consumers. Aquaculture Economics & Management, 28(2), 308-339.
Important: While based on the work performed by the above researchers, this article is a unique piece of content created by Intersect, designed to offer a summary of important takeaways for busy readers.
Introduction
The aquaculture industry faces environmental challenges, especially regarding the sustainability of fish feed. This paper examines the potential use of insect-based feed as a more sustainable alternative to traditional fish-based feeds.
While current regulations and research support the use of insect feeds in aquaculture, there are questions around consumer acceptance.
Younger consumers generally view insect feeds more favorably, but acceptance decreases with age. The paper focuses on studying the acceptance of insect-fed farmed fish among Italian mature consumers (over 55 years old), as this demographic accounts for a significant portion of fish consumption in Italy and developed economies.
The study aims to explore ways to "nudge" or increase the acceptance of insect-fed farmed fish in this target audience.
| Definition |
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Nudging In the context of the research paper, nudging refers to the use of behavioral interventions, such as providing useful information or using framing techniques, to influence and modify consumer attitudes and preferences towards accepting novel foods, specifically fish fed with insects. The goal of nudging is to bridge the attitude-behavior gap and encourage acceptance of more sustainable seafood choices among older consumers. |
Context
Mature consumers and acceptance of novel food products
The adoption of insect feeds in aquaculture faces challenges due to concerns about product quality and consumer acceptance.
Mature consumers, aged 55-74, are particularly resistant to novel food products, such as insect-fed farmed fish, due to their:
- Conservative eating habits
- High level of food neophobia
- Strong preferences for familiar foods.
This age group represents a significant portion of the population in developed economies, with substantial purchasing power and asset ownership. However, they show a lower willingness to accept environmentally friendly products and are less involved in actions supporting environmental protection, despite reporting high levels of social concerns.
Moreover, they are less inclined to prioritize environmentally friendly features in their purchasing decisions, focusing more on reliability, fair pricing, and economic value.
Additionally, mature consumers are more safety-conscious and risk-sensitive when choosing food, making them more hesitant to accept unconventional food sources like insect-fed products.
This demographic is characterized by a strong desire for economic security and career success, with weaker environmental attitudes and concerns compared to younger consumers.
Furthermore, mature consumers invest more effort in information processing and prefer products that align with their values of reliability and economic value rather than those that are environmentally friendly.
Their conservative eating habits, high food neophobia, and lower priority on environmental considerations make them a challenging target for the acceptance of novel food products like insect-fed aquaculture.
Nudging the acceptance of fish fed with insects in older consumers
The research paper explores ways to increase the acceptance of fish fed with insects among older consumers.
Older consumers may be more reluctant to accept novel foods due to psychological factors like higher value placed on the status quo and loss aversion.
Behavioral methods such as nudges can be used to modify consumer attitudes and preferences.
Nudging can be done by providing useful information about the nutritional and environmental benefits of insects-fed fish, as studies have shown that awareness of sustainability can encourage consumption of more sustainable seafood.
Another barrier is the attitude-behavior gap, where environmental attitudes do not translate to choices involving insects-fed fish. A nudge that primes relevant beliefs and concerns may be effective in activating these attitudes and influencing consumer choices.
Overall, the paper suggests that providing information on the benefits and priming relevant attitudes can help increase acceptance of this novel food among older consumers.
Results and discussions
The research paper examines the factors that influence consumer attitudes and intentions towards insects-fed farmed fish.
The key findings are:
1. Stronger beliefs in the value of alternative feeds (such as insects) increase positive attitudes towards insects-fed farmed fish, while concerns over the environmental and nutritional impact of farmed fish are inversely related to these attitudes.
2. Attitudes are positively and significantly related to consumers' intentions and consumption factors, as predicted by the Theory of Planned Behavior.
3. Information appears to have a stronger effect on beliefs about alternative feeds, highlighting the relevance of information provision. Environmental priming is slightly more effective than nature priming in motivating intentions, both of which impact beliefs about alternative feeds.
4. The nudges of information and environmental/nature priming influence intentions by increasing beliefs about alternative feeds, without directly affecting beliefs about fish as feed or concerns.
5. Demographic factors such as age, income satisfaction, and gender do not explain differences in beliefs about fish as feed, concerns, and attitudes, but males report stronger intentions to purchase and consume insects-fed farmed fish.
The results provide important insights into the pathways through which information and priming interventions can influence consumer acceptance of alternative protein sources in aquaculture.
What communication is effective in removing barriers to insects-fed farmed fish?
The research found that consumer intention to buy and consume insects-fed farmed fish increases when consumers hold stronger beliefs in the value of alternative fish feeds.
Information that highlights the benefits and natural aspects of insects feed is crucial for designing effective informational campaigns
Interestingly, concerns about the negative effects of aquaculture on the environment do not seem to influence the intention to consume insects-fed farmed fish.
Instead, consumer belief in the naturalness of the fish feed is a key driver. Information can change attitudes toward insects-fed farmed fish by providing knowledge, reducing barriers such as disgust and neophobia.
Priming with relevant images related to nature and the environment can motivate consumers to buy and consume insects-fed farmed fish, especially for mature consumers and potentially for the broader market.
| Definition |
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Priming In this context, "priming" refers to the use of stimuli, such as images related to the environment and nature, to activate specific preferences or beliefs in consumers. |
The effectiveness of priming reveals that mature consumers hold relevant values on the preservation of the natural environment. However, the study shows that when information and priming appear jointly, they have a negative effect on beliefs, which is somewhat unexpected.
This may be due to a conflict between the cognitive and emotional spheres of the consumer.
Future research should explore under what conditions nudges and information can lead to positive synergistic effects.
Conclusion
The concluding remarks of the research paper highlight the importance of understanding consumer acceptance of new products that consumers are reluctant to accept, particularly in the context of introducing insects within the supply chain.
The authors note that while consumers may not yet be ready to eat insects directly, the use of insects as feed could be a viable pathway to gradually bring them into the supply chain, with potential benefits for producers and consumers.
