Is social sustainability relevant for food consumers? Evidence from Chile

Aim of study: To examine consumer preferences in Chile, an emerging market, for cheese that emphasizes social sustainability features. Area of study: Chilean consumers. Material and methods: Three characteristics were included in the choice experiment: price, social sustainability (adherence to labor laws), and cheese type (Gouda, Chanco, and Artisanal cheese), each with three levels. A face-to-face questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of Chilean customers in order to collect data. To evaluate the effect, relevance, and main determinants of choice, a conditional logit model was employed. Main results: The more attributes are at their most desirable levels, the more likely the cheese will be chosen. Therefore, the most sought-after cheese is that which is inexpensive, conforms to all labor laws, and is of the Chanco variety. When one or more of these three attributes are not at their most desirable level, then price (the lowest) is the attribute that governs the choice, followed by the social sustainability attribute (higher levels of compliance with labor legislation) and, finally, the type of cheese. In terms of socioeconomic variables, older consumers and those with higher education explain a greater preference for the social sustainability attribute over the type of cheese. Research highlights: These results highlight the importance that social sustainability can have on companies to make their products preferred by consumers. This is the first study to examine the Chilean food industry's social sustainability attribute.