Exploring consumers’ knowledge and level of importance of sustainable agri-food certifications in purchasing behavior

This research examines the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and habitual place of food purchase on consumer purchasing habits, the level of knowledge and perceived importance on sustainable certification of agri-food among Italian consumers. An online survey was conducted to 501 participants in Piedmont (Nord-West Italy). The results revealed that consumer gender and age significantly influenced purchasing behavior, the level of knowledge and perceived importance of sustainable agri-food certifications. In detail, women showed significantly higher purchasing frequency, level of knowledge and importance of specific sustainable certifications. Younger consumers demonstrated a profound knowledge of environmentally-focused certifications such as organic certificate, carbon footprint and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), reflecting their strong environmental concerns. Varying levels of certification knowledge of consumers shop from different purchase locations were also revealed, reflecting the crucial role of retail environments in consumer engagement with certifications. This study helps to understand the different levels of awareness of certifications in different places of purchase and suggests that the retail environment plays a crucial role in consumer engagement with certifications. Superstores and direct-to-producer channels emerged as key points of awareness, although actual understanding of certifications remains limited. This suggests that while consumers may recognize labels, deeper educational efforts are needed to increase understanding and trust in these certifications. One limitation of this study lies in the geographically restricted distribution of the survey.