Greek Consumers’ Perceptions of Traceability in the Food Supply Chain

Abstract

AbstractTraceability is an issue of major importance and is related to the provision, sharing and tracking of information about products in every part of the food supply chain. However, traceability faces issues and challenges that eventually lead to increased consumers’ concerns. This paper examines Greek consumers’ perceptions of traceability in the food supply chain. The research was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, as modified and used on previous studies, and was conducted with a structured questionnaire between April and May 2023, in a sample of 222 respondents. Findings indicate that consumers’ perceptions about traceability influence their intention and behavior in buying traceable food. Attitude, subjective norm, trust and perceived behavioral control influence positively-but rather weakly-the intention to buy traceable food, whereas the perceived behavioral control affects the Greek customers’ behavior in buying traceable food. Finally, consumers’ intention to buy traceable food influences their behavior in buying traceable food. The results can be used by academics in order to explore food traceability in a national context or validate results from similar studies in international context. They may also help food sector managers to better understand consumers’ perceptions about food traceability and formulate their strategy accordingly.