Attitude as a determinant of sustainable milk consumption in Taiwan

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of planned behaviour and consumption motivations on sustainable milk consumption intentions among Taiwanese consumers. Design/methodology/approach A total of 959 respondents with experience purchasing fresh milk were included in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to verify the factor structure of the scales, and structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypotheses. On the basis of the CFA results, planned behaviour was divided into attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, and consumption motivation was divided into utilitarian and import motivation. Findings Utilitarian motivation, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control positively affected the respondents’ sustainable consumption intentions through attitude as a mediator. Sustainable milk consumption intentions were more strongly influenced by utilitarian motivation and perceived behavioural control in women than in men, and perceived behavioural control particularly affected sustainable milk consumption intentions among individuals aged <30 years. Originality/value This is the first study on sustainable milk consumption in Taiwan. Within the framework of sustainable milk consumption, import motivation was proposed as a novel motivation type in place of hedonic motivation, suggesting that milk products are utilitarian rather than hedonic foods in Taiwan and that import motivation should be accounted for in emerging sustainable food markets. The psychological factors influencing consumer decision-making were identified to forecast trends in the consumption of sustainable milk products in Taiwan.