Cost-Driven strategies in consumer food behavior during global economic turmoil - evidence from Taiwan
Keywords:
Consumer habits, Economic crisis, Food choice behavior, Inflation, Taiwan, Ukraine warAbstract
This study examines how rising food and energy prices, influenced by the Ukraine war and global instability, impact the dietary habits of Taiwanese consumers. Building on Grunert et al. (2023), which showed 81% of European consumers altered their food choices due to inflation, we explore whether Taiwanese consumers are becoming more price-conscious while prioritizing health and sustainability. Our findings indicate that taste remains a primary focus despite inflation, with increased attention to food quality, packaging, and local products, especially among women and younger consumers. This research offers valuable insights for food producers and retailers navigating contemporary consumer needs.
References
Appleton, K. M., Dinnella, C., Spinelli, S., Morizet, D., Saulais L., Hemingway, A., Monteleone, E., Depezay, L., Perez-Cueto, F. J. A., Hartwell, H. (2017), “Consumption of a High Quantity and a Wide Variety of Vegetables Are Predicted by Different Food Choice Motives in Older Adults from France, Italy and the UK,” Nutrients, 23, 923.
Arndt, C., Diao, X., Dorosh, P., Pauw, K., and Thurlow, J. (2023), “The Ukraine War and Rising Commodity Prices: Implications for Developing Countries,” Global Food Security, 36.
Bellisle, F. (2006), “The Factors That Influence Our Food Choices,” European Union Food Information Council (EUFIC).
Bender, K., Badiger, A., Roe, B., Shu, Y., and Qi, D. (2020), “Consumer Behavior During The COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Food Purchasing and Management Behaviors in U.S. Households Through the Lens of Food System Resilience,” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 82.
Brunsø, K., Birch, D., Memery, J., Temesi, A., ´ Lakner, Z., Lang, M., Dean, D., and Grunert, K. G. (2021), “Core Dimensions of Food-Related Lifestyle: A New Instrument for Measuring Food Involvement, Innovativeness and Responsibility,” Food Quality and Preference, 91.
Chen, P. J., and Antonelli, M. (2020), “Conceptual Models of Food Choice: Influential Factors Related to Foods, Individual Differences, and Society,” Food, 9 (12), 1898.
Dahal. M., Basnet, A., Khanal, S., Baral, K., and Dhakal, S. (2022). “Gender Difference in Food Choice and Eating Practice and Their Association with Health among Students of Kathmandu, Nepal.” J Obes. Aug 25;2022:2340809. doi: 10.1155/2022/2340809. PMID: 36061219; PMCID: PMC9436614.
d’Astous, A., Labrecque, J. (2021), “The Impact of Responsible Food Packaging Perceptions on Naturalness and Healthiness Inferences, and Consumer Buying Intentions,” Foods, 10, 2366.
De Backer, C., Teunissen, L., Cuykx, I., Decorte, P., Pabian, S., Gerritsen, S., Matthys, C., Sabbah, H., and Royen, K. (2021), “An Evaluation of The COVID-19 Pandemic and Perceived Social Distancing Policies in Relation to Planning, Selecting, and Preparing Healthy Meals: An Observational Study in 38 Countries Worldwide,” Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, Article 621726.
Di Renzo, L., Gualtieri, P., Pivari, F., et al. (2020), “Eating Habits and Lifestyle Changes During COVID-19 Lockdown: An Italian Survey,” Journal of Translational Medicine, 18, 229.
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., and Griffin, S. (1985), “The Satisfaction with Life Scale,” Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.
Eertmans, A., Victoir, A., Notelaers, G., Vansant, G., Van den Bergh, O. (2006), “The Food Choice Questionnaire: Factorial Invariant over Western Urban Populations?” Food Qual. Prefer; 17, 344–352.
European Union Food Information Council (EUFIC). (2023), “Why Do We Eat What We Eat?”
European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). (2022), “Changes in Food Behaviour in Times of Crisis,” https://www.eitfood.eu/files/Report-changes-in-food-behaviour-in-times-of-crisis.pdf
Figueiredo, E., Forte, T., Eusébio, C., Silva, A., Couto, J. (2022), “Rural Ties and Consumption of Rural Provenance Food Products—Evidence from the Customers of Urban Specialty Stores in Portugal,” Foods, 11, 547.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. (2022), “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Repurposing Food and Agricultural Policies to Make Healthy Diets More Affordable,” Rome, FAO.
Goolsbee, A., and Syverson, C. (2020), “Fear, Lockdown, and Diversion: Comparing Drivers of Pandemic Economic Decline 2020,” NBER Working Papers 27432.
Grunert, K. G., Costanza Chimisso, C., Lahteenmaki, L., Leardini, D., Sandell, A., Vainio, A., and Vranken, L. (2023), “Food-Related Consumer Behaviours in Times of Crisis: Changes in the Wake of The Ukraine War, Rising Prices and the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Food Research International, 173, 113451.
Grunert, K. G., De Bauw, M., Dean, M., L¨ ahteenmaki, ¨ L., Maison, D., Pennanen, K., … Tarrega, A. (2021), “No Lockdown in the Kitchen: How The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Food-Related Behaviours,” Food Research International, 150, 110752.
Grunert, K. G., Dean, M., Raats, M. M., Nielsen, N. A., and Lumbers, M. (2007), “A Measure of Satisfaction with Food-Related Life,” Appetite, 49, 486–493.
Hassen, T. B., Bilali, H. E., Allahyari, M. S., Kamel, I. M., Ismail, H. B., Debbabi, H., and Sassi, K. (2022), “Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Behaviors in North Africa: Cases of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia,” Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19 (4), 2192.
Lusk, J. L. (2017), “Consumer Research with Big Data: Applications from the Food Demand Survey (FooDS),” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 99 (2), 303–320.
Mbah, R. E., and Wasum, D. F. (2022), “Russian-Ukraine 2022 War: A Review of the Economic Impact of Russian-Ukraine Crisis on the USA, UK, Canada, and Europe,” Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9 (3), 144–153.
Muresan, L., Harun, R., Brata, A., Brata, V., Chiciudean, D., Tirpe, O., Porutiu, A., and Dumitras, D. (2022), “Factors Affecting Food Consumers’ Behavior during COVID-19 in Romania,” Foods, 11 (15), 2275.
Nagel, B., Paramita, A., and Buhari, N. (2023), “Seafood Consumption Changes and COVID-19 Impact Index in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia,” PLoS One, 18 (1), e0280134.
Prati, A. (2023), “The Well-Being Cost of Inflation Inequalities.” Review of Income and Wealth,”
Renner, B., Sproesser, G., Strohbach, S., Schupp, H. T. (2012), “Why We Eat What We Eat. The Eating Motivation Survey (TEMS),” Appetite, 59, 117–128.
Rice B., Hernández, M. A., Glauber J., and Vos, R. (2022), “The Russia-Ukraine War is Exacerbating International Food Price Volatility,” International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC.
Robinson, E., Boyland, E., Chisholm, A., Harrold, J., Maloney, N. G., Marty, L., …Hardman, C. A. (2021), “Obesity, Eating Behavior and Physical Activity during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Study of UK adults,” Appetite, 156, 104853.
Rose, A., Chen, Z., and Wei, D. (2023), “The Economic Impacts of Russia-Ukraine War Export Disruptions of Grain Commodities,” Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 45 (2), 645–665.
Shorr. (2020), “The Food Packaging & Consumer Behavior Report,” https://www.shorr.com/resources/blog/2020-food-packaging-consumer-behavior-report/
Steptoe, A., Pollard, T. M., Wardle, J. (1995), “Development of a Measure of the Motives Underlying the Selection of Food: The Food Choice Questionnaire,” Appetite, 25, 267–284.
Tran, D., Broeckhoven, I., Hung, Y., Diem, N. H.; De Steur, H., Verbeke, W. (2022), “Willingness to Pay for Food Labelling Schemes in Vietnam: A Choice Experiment on Water Spinach,” Foods, 11, 722.
Wongprawmas. R., Mora, C., Pellegrini, N., Guiné, RPF., Carini, E., Sogari, G., and Vittadini, E. (2021). “Food Choice Determinants and Perceptions of a Healthy Diet among Italian Consumers.” Foods, 10 (2), 318.
Xuan, L. (2022), “Russia-Ukraine War: Taiwanese Food Industry is Very Nervous! International Materials May Rise Again, National Development Council: Taiwan’s Three Major Food Products are Most Affected,” FoodNEXT. https://www.managertoday.com.tw/articles/view/64731
Yan, H. (2023), “Various Cost Pressures are Increasing, Experts: 75% of Grain Prices Have Nothing to Do with Agricultural Products,” TechNews. https://technews.tw/2023/05/08/food-price-inflation-2/#more-1060458
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Yu-Ho Chi, Feng-Tzu Wu, David Ziebart
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Allows users to: distribute and copy the article; create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation); include in a collective work (such as an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted even for commercial purposes, provided the user: gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant URL ID); includes a link to the license; indicates if changes were made; and does not represent the author(s) as endorsing the adaptation of the article or modify the article in such a way as to damage the authors' honor or reputation. CC BY
