Influencing factors towards consumer acceptance of millet as a food source

Ensuring food security and sustainability is critical to support present and future generations, while minimising negative environmental impacts. The planet provides over 250,000 edible plant species yet humans have become reliant on three main crops: wheat, maize, and rice. Underutilised crop species have the potential to alleviate the strain on the planet's resources, while providing nutritionally balanced alternative food sources. Heritage grains have been part of the human diet since the advent of agricultural practices, but many are now considered forgotten foods. Millet is a heritage grain with consumption history dating back to the Song dynasty (960-1279CE). In western society millet is an underutilised food source, yet is a reliable, sustainable, and highly nutritious crop that has the potential to alleviate food security and support healthy consumption patterns. To effectively integrate millet into current dietary behaviours greater understanding of the determinants of consumer acceptance of alternative food sources is required. This study takes a qualitative approach to assess the personal, social, cultural, economic, and psychological factors influencing British consumer decision making processes to try, utilise, and integrate millet into current dietary patterns. Consumer focus groups were conducted to identify influencing factors relating to altruistic, egoistic, habit forming, conditional and functional values. This research provides an understanding of the influencing factors associated with consumer acceptance of millet as a food source in the UK and will be of interest to practice and policy to support the development of strategies to promote sustainable food system initiatives and healthy dietary choices. • Millet is a heritage grain with potential to alleviate the strain on the planets food systems, support food security and promote healthy diets. • Altruistic, egoistic, functional and conditional factors influence consumers adoption of new and novel food sources. • The framework guides the assessment of population level factors influenceing willingness to try unfamiliar foods such as millet.