Will food quality and safety issues hurt consumer behavior toward pro-social agrifood consumption?

Yuyu Yu^1*Xiaozhi Meng²

• ¹Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
• ²Guizhou Development System to Guarantee High-end Think Tanks, Guiyang City, China

Consumer behavior is essential in aiding socially responsible agricultural producers, as customers gain satisfaction from enhancing public welfare through their purchases. This study examines the influence of quality and safety concerns on customers' propensity to buy altruistic pro-poor agrifoods, utilizing poverty alleviation agrifoods in China as a case study. A survey was administered to Chinese consumers to assess their responses. The empirical investigation indicates that experiencing quality and safety issues when acquiring poverty-alleviation agrifoods results in a 12% decrease in repurchase intention. Furthermore, customers who possess heightened concerns regarding brand and product evaluation can more effectively alleviate the adverse effects of quality and safety difficulties on their intention to repurchase. Consumer altruism mitigates the adverse effects of quality and safety apprehensions on consumers' propensity for repeat purchases. The research indicated that the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables markedly diminished consumers' propensity to repurchase. The quality and safety of cereals, oils, tea, fresh meat, and fresh milk did not substantially influence repurchase intent. These findings improve understanding of altruistic and pro-social consumer behavior and provide significant insights for revitalizing public welfare and encouraging altruistic consumer behavior among individuals impacted by quality and safety concerns.