The Role of the Family in the Adoption of a Vegan Diet. The Implications for Consumer Socialization towards Sustainable Food Consumption

Abstract

Even though food consumption has a significant influence on our environment, diet remains an
underappreciated component in global sustainability debates. This study investigates the long-term effects of socialization towards a vegan diet, which has the lowest environmental footprint. Family motives and values underlying the adoption of a vegan diet are studied. The long-term impact of this socialization on young adults is explored to identify the factors that affect the internalization of sustainable food consumption values into adulthood. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion by providing a theoretical foundation for understanding family differences in socialization towards sustainable food consumption. As longitudinal approach to studying sustainable food consumption has been largely overlooked by previous research, this study goes beyond prevalent child development stages and builds on the self-determination theory to investigate the long-term impact of socialization on the older children who no longer live with their families.