COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach
Lockdowns, restrictions on people's movements and gatherings, and other COVID-19 containment measures have had economic, social, and environmental effects. The pandemic resulted in major disruption to food systems, highlighting serious weaknesses in the way such systems are currently configured...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024165966 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846125423324299264 |
|---|---|
| author | José Luis Cruz Mario González-Azcárate Richard J Hewitt Verónica Hernández-Jiménez Isabel Bardají |
| author_facet | José Luis Cruz Mario González-Azcárate Richard J Hewitt Verónica Hernández-Jiménez Isabel Bardají |
| author_sort | José Luis Cruz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lockdowns, restrictions on people's movements and gatherings, and other COVID-19 containment measures have had economic, social, and environmental effects. The pandemic resulted in major disruption to food systems, highlighting serious weaknesses in the way such systems are currently configured. However, the pandemic also created important opportunities to develop transformative actions enabling the creation of more resilient and sustainable food systems. In this paper, we delve more deeply into the strategies developed by consumers, as key stakeholders in the food system, through an in-depth survey and statistical analysis of changes in consumers' habits during the pandemic lockdowns. We adopt a city-region food system (CRFS) approach to explore ways to enhance food system resilience to future crises.Data were collected through a telephone survey of a representative sample (600 consumers), conducted in the region of Madrid in May 2021. First, descriptive analyses allowed different consumer strategies to be identified. Differences in food preferences and behaviour changes between individuals in the sample were analysed by age, gender, income, and level of education using exponential family Principal Component Analysis (EPCA), logistic regression, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Lastly, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to classify the consumer strategies into four discrete profiles.The findings show significant differences in consumers' responses according to age, income, and level of education. Additionally, the results highlight increased consumption of local and organic products, and online shopping, as typical strategies employed by consumers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, alternative food networks were shown to play a key role in enhancing food security. Interestingly, no significant differences were found between urban and rural areas. Our discussion addresses this apparent homogeneity in consumers’ habits from a resilient CRFS approach. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c75077b65a904c1c89a0d62c6dfe3b8d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-c75077b65a904c1c89a0d62c6dfe3b8d2024-12-13T10:59:05ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-12-011023e40565COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approachJosé Luis Cruz0Mario González-Azcárate1Richard J Hewitt2Verónica Hernández-Jiménez3Isabel Bardají4Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDRA). Finca Experimental “El Encín”, Autovía del Noreste A-2 Km 38 2, 28800, Alcaláde Henares, Madrid, Spain; Corresponding author.Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDRA). Finca Experimental “El Encín”, Autovía del Noreste A-2 Km 38 2, 28800, Alcaláde Henares, Madrid, Spain; Área de Economía, Sociología y Política Agraria, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, E.T.S. de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, 280240, Madrid, SpainInstituto de Economía, Geografía y Demografía, Spanish National Research Council (IEGD-CSIC), C/ de Albasanz 26-8, 28037, Madrid, SpainÁrea de Economía, Sociología y Política Agraria, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, E.T.S. de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, 280240, Madrid, Spain; Observatorio para una Cultura del Territorio (OCT), Calle del Duque de Fernán Núñez 2, 1, 28012, Madrid, SpainCentro de Estudios e Investigación para la Gestión de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientales (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. C/ Senda del Rey 13 Campus Sur de prácticas E.T.S. de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de, Biosistemas, 28040, Madrid, SpainLockdowns, restrictions on people's movements and gatherings, and other COVID-19 containment measures have had economic, social, and environmental effects. The pandemic resulted in major disruption to food systems, highlighting serious weaknesses in the way such systems are currently configured. However, the pandemic also created important opportunities to develop transformative actions enabling the creation of more resilient and sustainable food systems. In this paper, we delve more deeply into the strategies developed by consumers, as key stakeholders in the food system, through an in-depth survey and statistical analysis of changes in consumers' habits during the pandemic lockdowns. We adopt a city-region food system (CRFS) approach to explore ways to enhance food system resilience to future crises.Data were collected through a telephone survey of a representative sample (600 consumers), conducted in the region of Madrid in May 2021. First, descriptive analyses allowed different consumer strategies to be identified. Differences in food preferences and behaviour changes between individuals in the sample were analysed by age, gender, income, and level of education using exponential family Principal Component Analysis (EPCA), logistic regression, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Lastly, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to classify the consumer strategies into four discrete profiles.The findings show significant differences in consumers' responses according to age, income, and level of education. Additionally, the results highlight increased consumption of local and organic products, and online shopping, as typical strategies employed by consumers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, alternative food networks were shown to play a key role in enhancing food security. Interestingly, no significant differences were found between urban and rural areas. Our discussion addresses this apparent homogeneity in consumers’ habits from a resilient CRFS approach.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024165966Alternative food networksConsumer profilesShort food supply chainOrganic productsUrban consumptionLocal products |
| spellingShingle | José Luis Cruz Mario González-Azcárate Richard J Hewitt Verónica Hernández-Jiménez Isabel Bardají COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach Heliyon Alternative food networks Consumer profiles Short food supply chain Organic products Urban consumption Local products |
| title | COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach |
| title_full | COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach |
| title_fullStr | COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach |
| title_short | COVID and consumers’ food strategies in Madrid, Spain: Towards a resilient city-region food system approach |
| title_sort | covid and consumers food strategies in madrid spain towards a resilient city region food system approach |
| topic | Alternative food networks Consumer profiles Short food supply chain Organic products Urban consumption Local products |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024165966 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joseluiscruz covidandconsumersfoodstrategiesinmadridspaintowardsaresilientcityregionfoodsystemapproach AT mariogonzalezazcarate covidandconsumersfoodstrategiesinmadridspaintowardsaresilientcityregionfoodsystemapproach AT richardjhewitt covidandconsumersfoodstrategiesinmadridspaintowardsaresilientcityregionfoodsystemapproach AT veronicahernandezjimenez covidandconsumersfoodstrategiesinmadridspaintowardsaresilientcityregionfoodsystemapproach AT isabelbardaji covidandconsumersfoodstrategiesinmadridspaintowardsaresilientcityregionfoodsystemapproach |