Determinants of Household Choice of Dairy and Plant-based Milk Alternatives: Evidence from a Field Survey

ABSTRACT The growing popularity of plant-based milk alternatives suggests a shift in consumer preferences for dairy and nondairy products. Drivers of these shifts include rising concerns for environmental sustainability and farm animal welfare (FAW). Using data from a field survey, this study examines how primary purchasing motivations regarding health, nutrition, environment, and FAW worldviews (a focus on perceptions of calf housing) influence consumer choice of dairy milk, plant-based milk alternatives, and soda. We also explore parent–child consumption patterns within a given household. Our results show that as compared to the baseline of price sensitive consumers, respondents who were primarily concerned about health, FAW, and the environment were more likely to purchase and consume plant-based milk alternatives more frequently. We find consistencies in the consumption patterns between youth and parents within households; however, the substitution effects of FAW worldviews on these consumption patterns differed. The implications of these findings for the fluid milk industry are discussed.