Currently, alternative sources of protein are being sought to replace not only meat but also dairy products in the diet. From this perspective, it is worth examining how consumers perceive these products, what motivates them to choose them and what barriers they encounter, especially with regard to attitudes towards dairy products. The present study aimed to compare attitudes towards plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDAs) in three European countries – Poland, Germany and the UK. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the extent to which two main arguments appearing in the media, intended to persuade consumers to replace dairy products with PBDA – referring to ethical concerns (animal welfare) or emphasising ecological considerations (environmental impact) – are actually convincing to them. An online survey was conducted in each of the three countries on a representative sample of dairy consumers (2,157 respondents in total). Curiosity proved to be the primary motivation for trying PBDA in all countries. In contrast, the arguments commonly used in PBDA communication (referring to environmental protection and animal welfare) appeal to consumers to a much lesser extent. However, these ethical and ecological factors influenced consumers differently across regions. British consumers emerged as the most receptive to PBDA. German respondents showed the highest sensitivity to animal welfare and environmental concerns in PBDA communication. Polish consumers, on the other hand, strongly believe in the exceptional health benefits and necessity of dairy in daily diets, which negatively affects their interest in PBDA. Notably, dairy is perceived more favourably than PBDAs on most attributes in all investigated countries.

Traditional cultural landscapes play an important role in providing environmental, economic, social, and cultural values. These sustainable landscapes originate from extensive agricultural activities and need regular maintenance for preservation. They often lack economic viability and are threatened by the huge pressure of agricultural intensification. This study follows the idea of a market-based way of compensation for the cultivation of multifunctional agricultural landscapes by marketing the products of these landscapes. In order to increase consumer demand for products from traditional cultural landscapes, this article aims to identify appropriate communication measures by assessing consumers’ associations and knowledge of juice from orchard meadows (OM). Willingness to pay (WTP) was measured by using the contingent valuation method. The results show that specific product attributes of products from traditional cultural landscapes result in an additional WTP of consumers. In communication of a traditional cultural landscape product like OM juice, it is important to highlight especially three product attributes to consumers: the local origin, the environmentally friendly and organic production, and the naturalness of the landscape.

Business ethics research has long been interested in understanding the conditions under which ethical consumption is consistent versus context-dependent. Extant research suggests that many consumers fail to make consistent ethical consumption decisions and tend to engage in ethical decisions associated with ingroup (vs. outgroup) identity cues. To fill this gap, four experiments examine how construal levels moderate the influence of ingroup versus outgroup identity cues in ethical consumption. The studies support the contention that when consumers use concrete construal to process information, they will focus on ingroup cues and make ethical consumption decisions that are aligned with ingroup biases. However, when consumers use abstract construal, they will act more consistently with their inner goals rather than focusing on ingroup and outgroup cues. Social goodwill, which indicates desires to give back to society, is identified as mediating the effects. The findings have important implications for ethical consumption and social influence literature.

How should consumers exercise their basic economic powers? Recently, several authors have argued that consumption to bring about social change must be democratic. Others maintain that we may consume in ways that we believe promote positive change. This paper rejects both accounts and provides a new alternative. It argues that, under just institutions, people may consume as they like as long as they respect the institutions’ rules. Absent just institutions, significant moral constraints on consumption exist. Still, it is permissible, if not obligatory, for people to pursue non-democratic, genuinely positive, change within whatever moral constraints exist.