Gombos, Leon; Milon, Alexand a Gab iela; Nu , Ramona Ancu a; D agomi ,
C is ina; Ghe man, Alexand u And ei
A icle
Spo , cul u e and pu chasing powe : In luences on ood
ma ke s and consump ion
Am i ea u Economic
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
The Bucha es Uni e si y o Economic S udies
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Gombos, Leon; Milon, Alexand a Gab iela; Nu , Ramona Ancu a; D agomi ,
C is ina; Ghe man, Alexand u And ei (2025) : Spo , cul u e and pu chasing powe : In luences on
ood ma ke s and consump ion, Am i ea u Economic, ISSN 2247-9104, The Bucha es Uni e si y o
Economic S udies, Bucha es , Vol. 27, Iss. 69, pp. 367-383,
h ps://doi.o g/10.24818/EA/2025/69/367
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Food Ma ke Shi s – Challenges o Food Chain Ac o s
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 69 • May 2025 367
SPORT, CULTURE, AND PURCHASING POWER: INFLUENCES
ON FOOD MARKETS AND CONSUMPTION
Leon Gomboş1, Alexand a Gab iela Milon2
*
, Ramona Ancuţa Nuţ3,
C is ina D agomi 4 and Alexand u And ei Ghe man5
1)3)5) Babeș-Bolyai Uni e si y o Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
2) Bogdan-Vodă Uni e si y o Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
4) Ma i ime Uni e si y o Cons an a, Cons an a, Romania
Please ci e his a icle as:
Gomboş, L., Milon, A.G., Nuţ, R.A., D agomi , C. and
Ghe man, A.A., 2025. Spo , Cul u e, and Pu chasing
Powe : In luences on Food Ma ke s and Consump ion.
Am i ea u Economic, 27(69), pp. 367-383.
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.24818/EA/2025/69/367
A icle His o y
Recei ed: 16 Decembe 2024
Re ised: 12 Feb ua y 2025
Accep ed: 18 Ma ch 2025
Abs ac
This s udy aimed o in es iga e he in luence o economic, cul u al, and li es yle ac o s on
ood consump ion pa e ns in 31 Eu opean and associa ed coun ies be ween 2010 and 2020.
A panel econome ic model wi h andom e ec s was used o analyse da a om in e na ional
sou ces, including GDP adjus ed o pu chasing powe pa i y, cul u al indices, and ood
consump ion s a is ics. The indings e ealed ha inc eased spo s pa icipa ion and
pu chasing powe signi ican ly inc eased ege able, ui , and ish consump ion, while
cul u al alues such as indi idualism and long- e m o ien a ion shaped die a y p e e ences.
Unlike p e ious esea ch ha ocused on indi idual-le el ac o s, his s udy in eg a ed
mac oeconomic de e minan s o p o ide a comp ehensi e analysis o na ional ood
consump ion ends. Fu he mo e, c i ical shi s in he ood ma ke we e iden i ied, including
he inc easing demand o heal hy and sus ainable p oduc s, highligh ing he challenges aced
by ood chain ac o s in adap ing o hese changes. The esul s p o ide a aluable amewo k
o policy make s and business s a egies, highligh ing he need o esilience, inno a ion,
and ma ke adap a ion o align wi h e ol ing consume p e e ences.
Keywo ds: ood consump ion s uc u e, spo s pa icipa ion, pu chasing powe , cul u al
alues, d i ing ma ke shi s.
JEL Classi ica ion: Q18, C23, Z20.
*
Co esponding au ho , Alexand a Gab iela Milon – e-mail: [email p o ec ed]
This is an Open Access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in
any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. © 2025 The Au ho (s).
AE
Spo , Cul u e and Pu chasing Powe : In luences
on Food Ma ke s and Consump ion
368 Am i ea u Economic
In oduc ion
S udying changes in he ood ma ke by examining consume demand o ood p oduc s and
i s economic and beha iou al d i e s is impo an o unde s and how he ood indus y is
changing. Consume p e e ences a e e ol ing, wi h mo e people choosing heal hie ,
sus ainable, and locally sou ced oods, which di ec ly impac s he p oduc s o e ed on he
ma ke . Technological inno a ions a e also eshaping he ood indus y, enabling new
e icien ways o p oduce, p ocess, and dis ibu e ood, while c ea ing oppo uni ies o
di e en business models h oughou he supply chain. Sus ainabili y is a key conce n as he
ood indus y is unde p essu e o educe en i onmen al impac s while mee ing consume
expec a ions and emaining p o i able. Businesses mus also de elop esilience and adap o
hese ma ke changes o emain compe i i e. E ec i e ma ke ing and communica ion play
an impo an ole in connec ing ood p oduce s, p ocesso s, and e aile s wi h cu en
consume ends. By aligning all pa s o he ood chain wi h hese ends, companies can
be e espond o ma ke demands and imp o e hei long- e m success.
The s uc u e o ood consump ion (how much people ea ege ables, ui s, ish o mea ) is
hea ily in luenced by heal h awa eness and spo s ac i i y. People who a e heal h conscious
o en p io i ise die s high in ui s, ege ables, and ish due o he known heal h bene i s o
hese oods, such as i amins, an ioxidan s, and lean p o eins. Regula spo s pa icipa ion
u he shapes hese choices, as ac i e people end o choose leane , p o ein- ich op ions ha
suppo physical pe o mance, such as poul y and ish, o e ed mea . In many Eu opean
coun ies, he g owing popula i y o spo s and i ness has led o an inc eased demand o
'heal h oods', including o ganic p oduce and high-p o ein i ems, c ea ing a end owa ds
balanced and nu i ious die s. Addi ionally, pu chasing powe allows heal h conscious
consume s o pu chase p emium ood i ems such as esh ish o o ganic ege ables, which
a e o en mo e cos ly. This end is s ong in No he n Eu ope, whe e heal h and i ness a e
cul u ally emphasised, leading o die s ich in ish and plan -based oods. In sou he n Eu ope,
al hough adi ional die s a e high in ege ables and ish, he e is also g owing awa eness o
heal hy ea ing and i ness. Cul u al alues ha p omo e well-being and ac i e li es yles can
s ongly impac die a y choices, as seen in coun ies such as Sweden and Denma k. In
gene al, spo s and heal h conce ns a e key d i e s o ood consump ion pa e ns h oughou
Eu ope, con ibu ing o a shi owa d balanced die s ha align wi h ac i e and heal h- ocused
li es yles.
The academic li e a u e ex ensi ely explo es ood consump ion pa e ns, bu mos s udies
ocus on indi idual-le el ac o s, such as why a pe son chooses one ype o ood o e ano he .
Howe e , unde s anding he s uc u e o ood consump ion a he na ional le el is equally
impo an , as i e eals b oade ends ha shape ma ke demands. Ou s udy add esses his
gap by examining how na ional de e minan s, such as economic ac o s, cul u al alues,
heal h ends, and pa icipa ion in spo s, collec i ely in luence ood consump ion pa e ns.
The o iginali y o ou esea ch lies in i s comp ehensi e mac o-le el pe spec i e, which
in eg a es hese di e se de e minan s in o a uni ied analy ical amewo k. Unlike exis ing
s udies, ou app oach highligh s how socie al p e e ences and beha iou s d i e changes in
ood ma ke s, p o iding essen ial insigh s o policymake s, companies, and public heal h
ad oca es. By ocussing on Eu opean coun ies, we emphasise he geog aphical and cul u al
di e si y o ood p e e ences ac oss he con inen . Fo example, physically ac i e and heal h
conscious popula ions a e d i ing he inc eased demand o lean p o eins and esh p oduce,
p omp ing p oduce s and e aile s o adap acco dingly. This has signi ican implica ions o
Food Ma ke Shi s – Challenges o Food Chain Ac o s
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Vol. 27 • No. 69 • May 2025 369
ood ma ke shi s, as businesses in he ood chain mus espond o egional ends in
consume demand o emain compe i i e. The indings can guide companies in ailo ing hei
o e ings o mee changing die a y pa e ns, leading o mo e e ec i e s a egies and p oduc
de elopmen . Ou s udy p o ides insigh s in o how e ol ing consume needs impac he ood
ma ke , helping s akeholde s be e an icipa e and espond o changes in ma ke dynamics
h oughou Eu ope.
The a icle begins wi h a e iew o he li e a u e ha examines academic esea ch on ac o s
likely o in luence he s uc u e o ood consump ion. The nex sec ion, Resea ch
Me hodology, de ails he da a sou ces om EU and associa ed coun ies, de ines he a iables
used in he empi ical s udy, and desc ibes he s a is ical app oach. This me hodology includes
panel econome ics, ele an es s, as well as he ole o desc ip i e s a is ics and g aphical
isualisa ions. In he Resul s and Discussion sec ion, he a icle highligh s ends eme ging
om desc ip i e s a is ics and p esen s he indings om econome ic es ima ions, ollowed
by an analysis o hese esul s. The a icle closes wi h he Conclusions sec ion, which includes
a summa y o indings, s udy limi a ions, di ec ions o u u e esea ch, and policy
implica ions.
1. Re iew o he li e a u e
The academic li e a u e on ood consump ion is ex ensi e. Howe e , i ocusses mainly on
indi idual beha iou . Ou app oach is di e en , a ge ing he mac o-le el. We examine
na ional de e minan s o ood consump ion. The li e a u e e iew is di ided in o ou pa s.
Fi s , we analyse how spo s pa icipa ion in luences he consump ion s uc u e. Second, we
explo e he impac o pu chasing powe on consump ion p e e ences. Thi d, we in es iga e
he link be ween cul u al alues and speci ic p oduc g oups. Finally, we assess how p oduc
demand a ec s he unc ioning o speci ic ma ke s.
Spo s and Food Consump ion P e e ences. Spo s pa icipa ion signi ican ly in luences
die a y choices, as people engaged in physical ac i i y end o p io i ise nu ien -dense oods
o pe o mance and eco e y. Meye and Reguan -Closa (2017) emphasise he ole o
p o ein- ich die s, pa icula ly mea and dai y, and inco po a e sus ainabili y as a g owing
conce n in spo s nu i ion. This aligns wi h Dage os and Van Ophem (2013), who in oduce
he concep o Food Consump ion Value (FCV), explaining ha ood choices in spo s e lec
b oade alues such as heal h and well-being. Howe e , Çebi e al. (2020) ake a di e en
app oach, ocussing on meal iming and equency, especially b eak as habi s, as c i ical
ac o s in main aining die quali y among s uden s om spo s acul y. While bo h
pe spec i es acknowledge s uc u ed ea ing habi s, Meye and Reguan -Closa (2017)
in eg a e e hical conce ns, whe eas Çebi e al. (2020) emphasise he physiological bene i s
o planned ea ing pa e ns. Beyond s uc u ed meals, Cui e al. (2022) highligh he apid
expansion o he spo s ood indus y, d i en by he g owing demand o ene gy-dense ba s,
p o ein supplemen s, and specialised spo s p oduc s. This comme cialisa ion o spo s
nu i ion con as s wi h Fieldhouse (2013), who examines he cul u al and social no ms ha
shape ood choices in ac i e indi iduals, demons a ing how socie al expec a ions in luence
die a y beha iou . Al hough Cui e al. (2022) analyse ma ke -d i en shi s, Fieldhouse (2013)
ocusses on how cul u al na a i es su ounding nu i ion a ec a hle es' p e e ences.
Fu he mo e, spo s pa icipa ion o en co ela es wi h a g ea e ocus on heal hy oods such
as ui s and ege ables, aligning wi h he b oade goal o op imising pe o mance. This end
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Spo , Cul u e and Pu chasing Powe : In luences
on Food Ma ke s and Consump ion
370 Am i ea u Economic
is suppo ed by Dage os and Van Ophem (2013), who sugges ha FCV helps explain why
a hle es and ac i e people may p io i ise ood choices based on long- e m heal h bene i s.
Howe e , his con as s wi h Çebi e al. (2020), who a gue ha s uc u ed ea ing ou ines and
meal equency a e mo e immedia e de e minan s o die a y quali y han e hical o heal h-
conscious mo i a ions. Toge he , hese s udies demons a e how spo s- ela ed ood choices
a e shaped by comme cial in luences (Cui e al., 2022), s uc u ed die a y habi s (Çebi e al.,
2020), cul u al expec a ions (Fieldhouse, 2013), and pe sonal alues (Dage os and Van
Ophem, 2013). Al hough some emphasise he impac o he ma ke and indus y on spo s
nu i ion, o he s highligh he ole o meal s uc u e, cul u al no ms, o e hical conside a ions
in shaping die a y beha iou . This in e play o ac o s unde sco es he complexi y o ood
p e e ences in spo s and i ness con ex s.
Pu chasing Powe and Food P e e ences. Pu chasing powe is a c i ical de e minan o ood
p e e ences, in luencing consume s’ access o a a ie y o oods. Highe incomes gene ally
allow consume s o a o d mo e nu i ious and di e se oods, such as ui s, ege ables, and
lean p o eins (Eu opean Commission, 2024). Fallo, Nuh iwangsa and Hanim (2019) examine
how pu chasing powe a ec s he consump ion o ui s and ege ables among elemen a y
s uden s, inding a signi ican co ela ion be ween income and die quali y. Aya i i-Nina e
al. (2022) s udy u al amilies in Ecuado , showing ha highe amily income is ela ed o
g ea e ood secu i y, whe eas low pu chasing powe limi s die a y di e si y. Simila ly,
Banda a e al. (2021) explo e changes in ood consump ion pa e ns in S i Lanka,
highligh ing how income g ow h and u banisa ion d i e he demand o di e se ood p oduc s
beyond adi ional s aples. Blisa d e al. (2002) p o ides u he e idence by p ojec ing US
ood spending g ow h based on income ends, sugges ing ha inc eased pu chasing powe
will expand demand o di e se ood op ions. Zhang, G une and Zhou (2020) also discuss
consume in e es in local oods, no ing ha pu chasing powe enables he suppo o
loca o ism in de eloped ma ke s. As pu chasing powe inc eases globally, i ede ines
consume demand o high quali y, p emium, and locally sou ced ood p oduc s, p omp ing
changes in he ood ma ke o mee hese p e e ences.
Cul u al Values and Food P e e ences. Cul u al alues a e undamen al de e minan s o ood
choices, shaping die a y habi s h ough long-s anding social no ms and adi ions. Djekic e
al. (2021) explo e he ela ionship be ween Ho s ede’s cul u al dimensions and ood choice,
showing ha indi idualis ic and unce ain y-a e se cul u es end o a ou heal h-conscious
die s. This aligns wi h Neme h e al. (2019), who examine in e na ional s uden s in Hunga y
and ind ha cul u al backg ounds signi ican ly in luence die a y p e e ences, o en
ein o cing he endency o main ain adi ional ea ing pa e ns e en when li ing ab oad.
Simila ly, De Mooij and Ho s ede (2011) demons a e ha cul u al no ms impac consume
beha iou , in luencing bo h ood selec ion and b oade consump ion habi s in di e en
socie ies. A a global le el, Kea ney (2010) highligh s how cul u al ac o s shape he nu i ion
ansi ion in de eloping coun ies, wi h die a y changes occu ing a di e en a es depending
on socie al no ms and exposu e o globalisa ion. This cul u al in luence ex ends o he e hical
and emo ional dimensions o ood consump ion, as desc ibed by Dage os and Van Ophem
(2013), who in oduce he concep o Food Consump ion Value (FCV). They a gue ha
cul u al alues shape ood choices by in eg a ing heal h, sus ainabili y, and pe sonal belie s
in o pu chasing decisions, which con as s wi h pu ely economic d i e s. In his con ex ,
Feldmann and Hamm (2015) o e a complemen a y pe spec i e by analysing how cul u al
alues and local ood p e e ences in e ac . Thei s udy e eals ha while local ood is o en
associa ed wi h eshness and quali y, consume demand a ies signi ican ly based on
Food Ma ke Shi s – Challenges o Food Chain Ac o s
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Vol. 27 • No. 69 • May 2025 371
cul u al a i udes owa d ood o igin, au hen ici y, and sus ainabili y. This connec s wi h Sun,
Ho n and Me i (2009), who iden i y cul u al dimensions such as masculini y and sel -
consciousness as ac o s ha encou age heal hie ea ing habi s, demons a ing how iden i y
in luences ood choices. Taken oge he , hese s udies illus a e ha cul u al alues in luence
ood p e e ences h ough a combina ion o adi ion, iden i y, and e hical conside a ions.
Al hough Feldmann and Hamm (2015) emphasise he cul u al mo i a ions behind local ood
consump ion, Djekic e al. (2021) and Neme h e al. (2019) ocus on how cul u al dimensions
and mig a ion a ec ood choices. This collec i e e idence unde sco es he p o ound ole o
cul u al no ms in he shaping o na ional and egional ood ma ke s, demons a ing how bo h
indi idual p e e ences and socie al expec a ions con ibu e o die a y beha iou .
Consume p e e ences and ma ke ends. Consume p e e ences a e e ol ing, wi h a
g owing ocus on heal h, sus ainabili y, and local ood supply, all o which a e key d i e s o
ma ke ends. Kea ney (2010) highligh s a global shi owa d mo e di e si ied die s, d i en
by u banisa ion and ising incomes, which b oadens consume demand o a ied and
nu i ious ood op ions. This aligns wi h Ha man-Pe ycka e al. (2024), who ind ha
younge consume s inc easingly p io i ise balanced die s ich in ege ables and ish due o
heal h and en i onmen al conce ns. Simila ly, La son (2004) explo es ma ke segmen a ion
based on ood consump ion pa e ns, helping businesses ailo p oduc s o align wi h egional
die a y p e e ences. Beyond hese economic and demog aphic in luences, Dage os and Van
Ophem (2013) in oduce he concep o Food Consump ion Value (FCV), a guing ha
emo ional and e hical conside a ions play a signi ican ole in shaping ood choices. This
pe spec i e aligns wi h Meye and Reguan -Closa (2017), who examine sus ainabili y in
spo s nu i ion, highligh ing ha a hle es inc easingly op o oods ha align wi h
en i onmen al conce ns. Zhang, G une and Zhou (2020) u he explo e he g owing
p e e ence o local ood, pa icula ly in en i onmen ally conscious ma ke s like Denma k,
whe e “loca o ism” e lec s bo h e hical and heal h-d i en mo i a ions. In his con ex , Rana
and Paul (2017) p o ide a b oade amewo k o unde s and consume beha iou , pa icula ly
in he o ganic ood ma ke . Thei s udy highligh s how heal h awa eness, en i onmen al
awa eness, and us in ce i ica ion sys ems con ibu e o shi ing ood p e e ences,
pa icula ly as consume s seek p oduc s pe cei ed as sa e and mo e sus ainable. This is
pa icula ly ele an o Ho e al. (2022), who examine how cul u al backg ounds in luence
a en ion o ood labels, shaping consume pe cep ions o p oduc au hen ici y and quali y.
Toge he , hese s udies illus a e how consume p e e ences a e shaped by a combina ion o
economic, e hical, and heal h- ela ed ac o s. Al hough Kea ney (2010) and Ha man-
Pe ycka e al. (2024) ocus on he ole o income and gene a ional ends, Rana and Paul
(2017) p o ide insigh in o he psychological and en i onmen al mo i a ions behind ood
choices. These e ol ing p e e ences con inue o shape ood ma ke s, equi ing p oduce s and
e aile s o adap o he g owing demand o heal hie , sus ainable, and e hically sou ced
p oduc s.
Mac o app oach and po en ial de e minan s. The specialised li e a u e, ocussing p ima ily
on indi idual de e minan s o ood consump ion, highligh s se e al ac o s. These ac o s
will be examined a he mac o le el in ou s udy o Eu opean coun ies. Inc eased
pa icipa ion in spo s a he na ional le el encou ages heal hie die a y choices, shi ing he
popula ion's ood consump ion s uc u e owa d a highe in ake o ege ables, ui s, and lean
p o eins such as chicken and ish. This shi o en esul s in educed consump ion o ed
mea s, such as po k and bee , as well as an inc eased p e e ence o nu ien -dense op ions,
such as sea ood, aligning wi h he nu i ional demands o an ac i e li es yle. The a e age
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Spo , Cul u e and Pu chasing Powe : In luences
on Food Ma ke s and Consump ion
372 Am i ea u Economic
pu chasing powe in a coun y signi ican ly in luences he popula ion's ood consump ion
s uc u e. A highe pu chasing powe ypically inc eases he consump ion o p emium
p oduc s such as bee , ish, and sea ood, while a lowe pu chasing powe shi s p e e ences
owa d mo e a o dable op ions such as ege ables, ui s, and chicken. Cul u al indica o s
such as Indi idualism (IDV), Long-Te m O ien a ion (LTO), and Unce ain y A oidance
(UAI) signi ican ly shape a coun y's ood consump ion pa e ns. Highe IDV may lead o
di e se die choices and a ocus on con enience, a ou ing i ems such as chicken and
sea ood. S ong LTO encou ages sus ainable and heal h-conscious consump ion, inc easing
he demand o ege ables, ui s, and ish. High UAI p omo es adi ional and amilia oods,
such as po k and bee , o e exo ic o less common op ions. O he Ho s ede dimensions, like
Powe Dis ance (PDI) and Masculini y (MAS), a e heo e ically less ele an , as hey
p ima ily in luence hie a chical ela ionships o compe i i eness a he han di ec ood
choices.
2. Resea ch me hodology
A signi ican gap in exis ing esea ch lies in he lack o a comp ehensi e me hodological
amewo k ha in eg a es he economic, cul u al, and beha iou al de e minan s o ood
consump ion a he mac ole el. Al hough p e ious s udies ha e explo ed hese ac o s
indi idually, ew ha e used panel econome ic echniques o sys ema ically cap u e hei
combined e ec s o e ime and in mul iple coun ies. This s udy add esses his limi a ion by
applying obus s a is ical me hods and mul isou ce da a in eg a ion o p o ide a mo e
nuanced unde s anding o ood ma ke dynamics and consume beha iou .
S a is ical me hodology. The co e me hodology o alida ing he s udy's hypo heses is panel-
da a econome ics. As an auxilia y elemen , we use desc ip i e s a is ics and g aphical
ep esen a ions (maps) o isualise he spa ial dynamics o he phenomenon. Maps can also
highligh po en ial beha iou al mimic y among geog aphical neighbou s. The empi ical
analysis is conduc ed on a sample o 31 Eu opean coun ies, including EU membe s and
associa ed s a es, co e ing he pe iod 2010-2020, as his is he only ime ame o which
comple e da a a e a ailable o all s udy a iables. Gi en he ela i e s abili y and low
ola ili y o he a iables used in ou s udy (such as Ho s ede’s cul u al ac o s), no
signi ican s uc u al changes we e obse ed in consump ion pa e ns o explana o y
a iables due o he COVID-19 pandemic o o he ex e nal ac o s. The desc ip i e s a is ics
and geog aphic isualisa ion o he da a a e conside ed p elimina y analyses ha a e used o
iden i y po en ial ends. The con i ma o y me hodology is based on panel econome ics
applied o da a om he coun ies in he sample. P io o es ima ion, we conduc ed s anda d
p e-es ima ion es s. These s eps ensu e he obus ness o he econome ic analysis.
The B eusch-Pagan Lag ange Mul iplie (LM) es e alua es whe he a andom-e ec s model
is jus i ied o e an OLS model by es ing o signi ican a ia ion ac oss c oss-sec ional uni s.
The hypo heses a e as ollows: H0: no andom e ec s, and H1: andom e ec s p esen .
T ep esen s he numbe o ime pe iods (3 yea s: 2010, 2015, 2020),
Food Ma ke Shi s – Challenges o Food Chain Ac o s
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 69 • May 2025 373
N is he numbe o uni s (31 coun ies),
yi is he alue o he dependen a iable o coun y i in pe iod ,
is he coun y-le el mean o he dependen a iable ac oss all ime pe iods,
y is he o e all mean o he dependen a iable ac oss all coun ies and ime pe iods.
I he p- alue o he LM es is <0.05, we ejec H0 and conclude ha andom e ec s a e
p esen , making he andom e ec s model app op ia e.
The Hausman es helps o choose be ween ixed- and andom-e ec s models by checking i
indi idual e ec s a e co ela ed wi h explana o y a iables, wi h hypo heses: H0: andom
e ec s model is app op ia e (no co ela ion) and H1: ixed e ec s model is app op ia e (wi h
co ela ion).
βFE ep esen s he econome ic es ima es o he ixed e ec s model,
βRE ep esen s he econome ic es ima es o he andom e ec s model,
Va (βFE) and Va (βRE) a e he a iance ma ices o he es ima es o he wo models.
To use andom e ec s, he Hausman es s a is ic H should no be s a is ically signi ican ;
ha is, he p- alue should be g ea e han he chosen signi icance le el (α=0.05). I he p-
alue > 0.05, we do no ejec he null hypo hesis, indica ing ha he andom e ec s model
is app op ia e.
In ou es ima ions, he B eusch-Pagan LM and Hausman es s indica e he sui abili y o using
andom-e ec s models. The andom-e ec s model assumes ha indi idual-speci ic e ec s
a e unco ela ed wi h he explana o y a iables, allowing a ia ion ac oss en i ies (such as
coun ies) o be ea ed as andom and included in he e o e m, making i mo e e icien
o es ima ing coe icien s when his assump ion holds. Unlike he ixed e ec s model, which
con ols o all ime-in a ian cha ac e is ics, and he pooled OLS model, which assumes no
indi idual-speci ic a ia ion, andom e ec s s ike a balance by pa ially accoun ing o
unobse ed he e ogenei y while e aining e iciency. Ou es ima ions a e based on he
ollowing eg essions:
i indexes he obse a ions (31 coun ies)
indexes he ime (3 yea s, 2010, 2015, 2020).
AE
Spo , Cul u e and Pu chasing Powe : In luences
on Food Ma ke s and Consump ion
374 Am i ea u Economic
Robus ness check. To ensu e he eliabili y o ou es ima es, we assessed po en ial
mul icollinea i y and omi ed a iable bias (OVB). Gi en he dis inc na u e o ou
explana o y a iables: economic (GDP_PPP), cul u al (Ho s ede dimensions), and li es yle
ac o s (spo pa icipa ion), collinea i y is unlikely. Empi ical e i ica ion con i ms his,
wi h he highes Pea son co ela ion coe icien obse ed a 0.27 (be ween GDP_PPP and
spo s pa icipa ion), a below he con en ional h eshold o 0.7. Rega ding OVB, ou model
inco po a es all key de e minan s iden i ied in he li e a u e ha in luence ood consump ion,
including economic capaci y, cul u al o ien a ion, and li es yle choices. Inclusion o Ho s ede
dimensions cap u es deep-sea ed cul u al e ec s, while GDP_PPP and spo s pa icipa ion
con ol o economic and beha iou al in luences, educing he likelihood o unobse ed
con ounde s. Addi ionally, he andom e ec s panel model, alida ed by he B eusch-Pagan
and Hausman es s, accoun s o ime-in a ian he e ogenei y be ween coun ies. These
obus ness checks con i m ha nei he mul icollinea i y no omi ed a iables signi ican ly
dis o ou indings, ensu ing he alidi y o ou esul s.
De ini ion o a iables. Table 1 p esen s all he a iables used in he eg essions, explana ions
o hei de ini ions, and some desc ip i e s a is ics.
Table no. 1. Va iables used and desc ip i e s a is ics
Va iable code
Explana ions ega ding he
a iables
Mean
S d.
De .$
Min
Max
Dependen a iables
FREQVEGCONS
F equency o ege able consump ion.
Pe cen age o he adul popula ion who
consumes ege ables a leas 4 imes a
week.
70.7
3.72
64
80
FREQFRUCONS
F equency o ui consump ion.
Pe cen age o he adul popula ion who
consumes ui s a leas 4 imes a week.
49.9
20.6
11
80
POULTRY_TMC
P opo ion o poul y in o al mea
consump ion.
22.6
5.50
11.5
36.6
PORK_TMC
P opo ion o po k in o al mea
consump ion.
38.4
7.43
26.5
56.8
BEEF_TMC
P opo ion o bee in o al mea
consump ion.
17.3
4.97
9.1
31.0
FISH_TMC
P opo ion o ish and sea ood in o al
mea consump ion.
21.6
6.59
8
35.6
Explana o y a iables
SPORT
The pe cen age o he popula ion who
pa icipa es in egula spo s, a leas
once a week.
47.4
18.1
6.3
84.4
GDP_PPP
GDP adjus ed o pu chasing powe
pa i y, di ided by he popula ion ( he
a e age economic ou pu pe pe son in
e ms o local pu chasing powe ). Log-
ans o med alues a e used in he
eg essions.
37764
15001
12582
85819
Food Ma ke Shi s – Challenges o Food Chain Ac o s
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 69 • May 2025 381
limi he gene alisabili y o he indings o non-Eu opean con ex s. Seasonal and egional
a ia ions in ood a ailabili y, pa icula ly o ui s and ish, can also in luence he esul s,
adding a laye o complexi y no ully add essed. Addi ionally, di e ences in economic
de elopmen wi hin he sample coun ies could mask nuanced ela ionships be ween
a iables. These ac o s sugges cau ion when ex ending he s udy's conclusions beyond he
analysed con ex .
Fu u e esea ch could expand he geog aphic scope o include coun ies om o he egions,
allowing compa isons be ween Eu opean and non-Eu opean die a y pa e ns. Longi udinal
s udies co e ing mo e ime poin s would help iden i y long- e m ends and he e ol ing
impac o economic and cul u al ac o s on ood consump ion. In es iga ing he ole o
addi ional a iables, such as en i onmen al sus ainabili y o go e nmen policies, could
p o ide a mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o die a y choices. Finally, inco po a ing da a
on seasonal and egional ood a ailabili y could e ine insigh s in o consump ion a iabili y
and i s de e minan s.
The indings highligh key policy implica ions o s akeholde s in he ood ma ke , o e ing
ac ionable ecommenda ions. Economic and cul u al changes equi e ood chain ac o s o
align wi h e ol ing consume p e e ences, pa icula ly o heal hie and p emium p oduc s.
Ta ge ed policies should p omo e sus ainable ag icul u e, nu i ion educa ion, and iscal
incen i es such as subsidies o o ganic a ming and educed VAT on esh p oduce.
Technological ad ances, including digi al ma ke ing and supply chain inno a ions, a e c ucial.
Go e nmen s should suppo blockchain o aceabili y, e-comme ce o local p oduce s, and
esea ch on sma ood p oduc ion. Public-p i a e pa ne ships can imp o e e iciency and
educe was e. Sus ainabili y emains c i ical, equi ing s ic e en i onmen al s anda ds,
incen i es o plan -based al e na i es, and esponsible aquacul u e policies. Consume
awa eness campaigns can encou age sus ainable ea ing choices. To ensu e esilience, SMEs
need suppo in di e si ying p oduc s, s eng hening local supply chains, and accessing new
ma ke s. Financial incen i es o sus ainabili y and inno a ion can enhance adap abili y.
E ec i e ma ke ing and labelling sys ems mus p o ide anspa ency on he o igin, nu i ion,
and en i onmen al impac o ood. Aligning ood policies wi h economic, cul u al, and
echnological ends is he key o a esilien , sus ainable, and heal h-conscious ood ma ke . A
combina ion o iscal incen i es, egula ions, echnological in es men s, and consume
educa ion will d i e sus ainable consump ion pa e ns ac oss Eu ope.
Acknowledgmen
The au ho s exp ess hei g a i ude o he suppo p o ided by he SEED G an s and he
Compe i i eness G an s om Babeș-Bolyai Uni e si y in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. This
assis ance was ins umen al in acili a ing he esea ch and de elopmen o his s udy. All
au ho s ha e con ibu ed equally o his a icle.
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