The Taste of Sustainability: Sensory Experience and Stated Preference Trade-Offs in Consumer Evaluation of Goat Cheese from Extensive Farming Systems

This research investigates consumer behavior and intention to buy (ITB) for sustainable goat cheese made from milk sourced through extensive farming systems. By integrating sensory experiment with stated preference data on credence and search attributes-such as sustainability claims, labeling, and quality certifications-and analyzing them using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), this research offers a comprehensive perspective on the drivers of consumer decision-making, bridging actual sensory perception with hypothetical market choices. The findings clarify the trade-offs consumers are willing to make between taste and sustainability. Notably, the results reveal that a compelling sensory experience can lead consumers to deprioritize sustainability indicators and labeling claims, indicating that when sensory satisfaction is high, informational cues exert less influence on purchase intentions. To deepen the analysis, this study also explores the mediating role of consumer attitude, demonstrating that attitudes significantly translate product perceptions-particularly sensory and extrinsic attributes-into buying intentions. This integrated approach contributes a novel methodological framework and offers both theoretical and practical insights for marketers and policymakers aiming to promote sustainable food choices.