Financial incentives for fruit, vegetables and pulses: A qualitative exploration of food choice motive changes among consumers facing food insecurity - INRAE - Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement Access content directly
Conference Papers Year : 2024

Financial incentives for fruit, vegetables and pulses: A qualitative exploration of food choice motive changes among consumers facing food insecurity

Abstract

In the context of rising food costs, low-income consumers are likely to lack financial access to a sustainable diet. In the metropolitan area of Dijon, vouchers for fruit, vegetables and pulses were experimented for three months with inhabitants recruited through local social services and charitable organizations such as social grocery stores. Voucher values were set to meet the nutritional guidelines for these three food categories for each household member. Little is known about how such financial incentives are perceived by users and how they could affect food choice processes. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants to explore their dietary habits, their food choices when using the vouchers and their perception of the intervention. Interviews were set three months after the end of the voucher distribution, with twenty-seven participants with various sociodemographic profiles (age, household composition, origin). We performed a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts based on the model of food choice processes. Two thirds of participants reported having eaten more fruit and vegetables, but not pulses. One third declared not having changed their habits, especially those who had used the vouchers for non-targeted foods. Most participants had placed more importance in health and taste choice motives and less importance in cost and convenience, leading to food purchases of higher quality and diversity. Vouchers were generally considered as an acceptable alternative to the food aid system. In conclusion, these financial incentives for sustainable foods could help consumers facing food insecurity overcome the uncertainty of food supply and reach a healthier and more pleasant diet.
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Dates and versions

hal-04668183 , version 1 (06-08-2024)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : hal-04668183 , version 1

Cite

Basile Verdeau, Sandrine Monnery-Patris. Financial incentives for fruit, vegetables and pulses: A qualitative exploration of food choice motive changes among consumers facing food insecurity. The British Feeding and Drinking Group (BFDG) 2024 Annual Meeting, Apr 2024, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ⟨hal-04668183⟩
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