What is it about?
People may care about sustainable food for very different reasons. Some motivations, such as taste, freshness, health, and trust in farmers, are widely shared. Others, such as concern for the environment or actively supporting local farmers, require a stronger level of commitment. This study used survey data from more than 1,000 consumers in Hungary to examine how these motivations fit together. The results suggest that sustainability consciousness develops in layers rather than being a simple “sustainable” versus “not sustainable” choice. Taste, freshness, and trust form the broadest entry points. Social influences, including the opinions of friends, are especially important in distinguishing between lower and higher levels of commitment. Environmental concerns require a stronger commitment, while active support for local farmers appears to be among the most demanding forms of engagement. These findings can help researchers, food companies, and policymakers better understand why people differ in their commitment to sustainable food. They also suggest that communication strategies may work best when they begin with widely shared concerns such as taste and trust, while using more targeted approaches to encourage stronger environmental and collective commitments.
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Why is it important?
Most studies of sustainable food consumption treat different motivations as if they contribute equally to an overall sustainability score. Our study takes a different approach. Using Item Response Theory, we identify which motivations are widely shared, which ones distinguish consumers most strongly, and where stronger levels of commitment begin. Journal of Food Science - 2026 Using data from a nationally representative survey of 1,031 adults in Hungary, we show that sustainability consciousness is layered rather than simply present or absent. Journal of Food Science - 2026 Taste, freshness, and trust provide accessible starting points, while social influence, ecological concerns, and support for local farmers reflect progressively stronger forms of commitment. This helps explain why broad support for sustainability does not always translate into deeper engagement or action. The findings are timely because food companies, researchers, and policymakers increasingly need to understand not only whether consumers support sustainability, but also how strong that support is and what may help deepen it. By revealing these different levels of commitment, the study can support more effective consumer segmentation, communication, labeling, and interventions aimed at encouraging more sustainable food choices.
Perspectives
What I find most interesting about this study is that it challenges the idea that sustainable food consumption can be captured by a single attitude or score. The results show a much more nuanced picture: some motivations, such as taste, freshness, and trust, are widely shared, while social influence, ecological concerns, and support for local farmers reflect progressively deeper levels of commitment. For me, the value of this work lies in showing where consumers differ, not just whether they say sustainability is important. I believe this perspective can help us better understand the gap between broad support for sustainability and the much smaller number of consumers who are willing to make stronger ecological or collective commitments. It also opens up useful possibilities for designing more realistic communication and intervention strategies that meet consumers at different stages of engagement.
Professor Imre Fertő
Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mapping Layers of Sustainability Consciousness in Food Consumption Using the Item Response Theory (IRT) Approach, Journal of Food Science, September 2026, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.71514.
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