Factors influencing food consumption in a sustainability context: systematic literature review

Understanding consumer behaviour is essential for developing effective strategies that support sustainable food transitions at both individual and societal levels. Research in this field has highlighted a wide range of factors shaping food consumption patterns across various contexts, yet a comprehensive synthesis remains necessary. This study addresses this gap by identifying and consolidating the key determinants of sustainable food consumption, with particular attention to how attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours influence consumer choices. To this end, 110 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, published between 2010 and 2024, were systematically reviewed. The findings reveal a wide range of determinants, including socio-demographic variables (gender, age, education, and income), health motivations, environmental concerns, economic constraints like price sensitivity, cultural and social influences, knowledge and information gaps, and sensory attributes such as taste. The analysis also underscores the persistence of the attitude – behaviour gap and highlights the moderating influence of contextual factors, including governance frameworks and generational differences. By integrating fragmented evidence from multiple disciplines, this study advances the theoretical understanding of sustainable food consumption while providing empirically grounded insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Ultimately, the findings contribute to the design of strategies capable of fostering more sustainable consumption practices and supporting the broader sustainability transition of food systems.