Examination of the relationship between dietary choice and consumer preferences for sustainable near-food products in Israel

The link between environmental attitudes and dietary choice is gaining increasing interest in the scientific world. The current research aims to specify the relationships between dietary choice and preferences for near-food products: environmentally friendly/environmentally unfriendly. The study was conducted in Israel, including four dietary choice sub-groups: 1) meat, 2) fish, 3) eggs, and 4) dairy products. The extended pre-test questionnaire included 120 usable questionnaires. Results from the final questionnaires (N = 828), support our hypothesis, indicating a positive relationship between consumer eating preferences and their preferences in choosing environmentally friendly products over the environmentally unfriendly products. Our results regarding consumer preferences of near-food products reveal that vegan consumers, and a higher score in the Environmental Concern scale, increase the odds of choosing the environmentally friendly product significantly for the three tested products (deodorant, washing-powder, and hand-soap). Therefore, our results concerning vegans are robust for the three tested products and are complementary to the literature reviewed. Finally, the results of the research may contribute to create an incentive for companies to improve sustainability of their products, while for environmental agencies, policy makers and educators to encourage the public towards more plant-based dietary choices, both decreasing the ecological footprint.