Green food refers to safe and high-quality food that are healthy, nutritious, and do not harm the environment (Suleiman &Janai, 2017). According to Rezai et al. (2012), these foods can be sustainably produced. Green food is considered to be in between organic food and normal food. Ensuring that food production and consumption has little effect on the environment is essential, given that China has been associated with excessive use of the chemical in food production.

Besides, Ma et al. (2015) observed that the country is also associated with high levels of food wastage. This is a global problem, with 30-35% of all food produced globally estimated to be wasted (Ma et al., 2015). The green food concept seeks to eliminate the pollution of the environment in the production process as well as the reduction of the adverse effects of consumption such as food wastage. This is important since the world is currently operating at a deficit with the human population consuming more than the universe’s natural rate of replacement, which implies that the current pool of resources may run out.

1.2.Background

The concept of green food was first introduced in China in the late 1980s in response to the high level of pollution and health concerns with food products from China (International Trade Centre, 2011). In response to these concerns, the Chinese government gradually established institutions meant to check the quality and safety of food products through certification with organic tea for export to Europe, the first product to be certified.

China is associated with high levels of environmental pollution related to the country’s concerted efforts to increase the production level. A study conducted by Jiang et al. (2019) found a significant difference between individuals who were willing to purchase green food products and the individuals who purchased and consumed these products. Furthermore, the study did establish that there were inconsistencies in consumption among those who consumed the products, with most of them being occasional consumers. This demonstrates that most people in China see the need to change their food consumption behavior though not all are willing to change their behavior and consume these foods.

A survey conducted by Statista (2019) shows that green food industry in China experienced a sustained growth between 2011 and 2014. In this period, the value of the organic food sold in China increased from 313.45 billion Chinese yuan to 548.05 billion Chinese yuan. However, 2014 records the highest value recorded to date as the value of the industry has plateaued with the industry recording a sales value of 455.7 billion Chinese yuan in 2018.

The evaluated literature demonstrates that the factors that affect the consumption of green food can be divided into (a) social factors (Streeter, 2017; Bekele et al, 2018; Li et al, 2019; Popovic et al, 2019), (b) economic factors (Joshi and Rahman, 2015), (c) consumer attitude (Bekele et al, 2017; Li et al, 2019; McCarthy et al, 2015), (d) distribution methods (Jiang et al, 2019), and (e) legal framework (Leggett, 2017; Berti, 2015; Chen et al; 2015; Liu et al, 2019). It is evident that there is agreement on the influence of these factors on the consumption of green products. Despite this, it is important to observe that all consumers have been classified in the same basket with no studies attempting to study the subsections of the Chinese society. There is need to study the influence these factors have on young consumers given that they represent an important section of the Chinese section and they will have a strong effect on the future development of green food consumption in the country. This study will seek to evaluate the importance of these factors among the young population aged between 18 and 35 years.

1.3.Research Objectives

In order to meet the research aim highlighted above, the research will seek to meet the following secondary objectives:

Assess the effects of social factors on young consumers’ consumption of green food in China.
Assess the effects of economic factors on young consumers’ consumption of green food in China.

Assess the effects of consumer attitude on young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

Assess the effects of distribution channels adopted on the young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.
Assess the effects of the legal framework on the young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

1.4.Justification of the Study

The current trends in consumption of green food in China shows that the market is currently experiencing a stagnation despite the impressive growth that has been experienced in the past with China is currently one of the largest producers and consumers of green product, but there is need to understand the factors that are driving the consumption of these products among the young consumers who will be the future of these industry. Understanding these customers will enable regulators and stakeholders (farmers, retailers, and civil society groups) to appreciate factors that needs to change if they are to encourage more consumption of the product.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.Overview

This chapter analyses the literature conducted in relation to green food industry in China to identify and analyse the factors that have been observed to contribute to the consumption of the green food products. The objective of this literature review is to identify gaps in the research that has been conducted on the issue and help to develop the research hypotheses. To accomplish this, the literature review is divided into two sections: empirical review and theoretical review. In the empirical review section, the various factors established to affect the growth of green food industry are analysed and the research gap is identified. The theoretical review highlights the theories that are applicable in studying the problem of stagnation in the development of the industry.

2.2.Empirical Review

Review of the literature conducted on the factors affecting green food consumption have highlighted numerous factors namely social factors (Streeter, 2017), economic factors (Joshi & Rahman, 2015), consumer attitude (Bekele et al, 2018), the distribution methods (Jiang et al, 2019), and the legal framework (Chen et al, 2015). Each of these factors has been discussed in the subsequent subsections of this chapter.

2.2.1. Social Factors

In line with both the theory of planned behaviour and theory of reasoned action, social factors have been observed to affect the behavioural intentions of consumers. In China, the social expectations placed on individuals have an overwhelming effect on the behaviours that individuals’ consumers choose given that they have to conform to the behaviours of their social groups as shown in these studies. Specifically, studies indicate that there are numerous social factors affecting the growth of the green food industry. The level of incomes, urban/rural dimension and education significantly affects the food consumption and nutrition choices in China (Streeter, 2017). Streeter (2017) found that individuals living in the urban areas consume more fresh fruits, daily products than those in the rural areas while those in the rural areas consumed more carbohydrates and energy fruits. Similar differences were observed in relation to levels of education with the more educated individuals noted to consume more daily and less cereals. Although this study did not investigate the effect of these social elements on green food, it does demonstrate that these social elements are important to the food choices that individuals make.

Other studies (Li et al, 2019; Bekele et al, 2018) have indicated that social norms do have a strong effect on the consumption of green food consumption. Social norms include cultural traditions, family, and customs usually shape the attitudes that individuals have towards behaviours including habits such as consumption of green products (Popovic et al, 2019). The Chinese society is based on a set up that emphasizes the group goals and individuals within the groups seek to fit with the others. This implies that individuals will ensure that they do not contravene the norms of their groups by consuming products that members of their groups (age groups or family members) do not consume.

A study conducted by Suki and Suki (2015) investigated the effects of religion on the consumption of green food among Muslims and non-Muslims. The study established that Muslims had strict regulation on food consumption practices, which affects their flexibility to consumption of alternative products. On the other hand, non-Muslims were observed to be more flexible and more willing to buy green food products if they provided the convenience sought. This study demonstrated that the social pressure that individuals achieve from their social groups will significantly influence their food choices. Therefore, the following research hypothesis was developed:

H₁: Social factors positively affect young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

2.2.2. Economic Factors

Economic factors mainly affect the attitudes of the consumers in the reasoned action and planned behaviour theories. Literature on consumption of green products demonstrates that economic factors such as lack of resources and availability of green products will negatively affect consumers’ ability to consume green products. Joshi and Rahman (2015) argued that the prices are responsible for the wide attitude-behaviour gap in the consumption of green products. First, the lack of adequate financial resources to consume green products discourages individuals to purchase. Furthermore, the high prices charged for the green products usually result in higher costs relative to the ethical consideration and the high prices may tip the scale against the consumption of green products. Joshi and Rahman (2015) also noted that individuals that choose to consume green products portray low sensitivity to price and will not change their consumption of these products on the account of the prices. Thus, based on the above information from previous researches, this study proposes that:

H₂: Economic factors positively affects young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

2.2.3. Consumer Attitude/ Willingness

According to a study conducted by Bekele et al (2017), consumers’ attitudes are affected by a myriad of factors including health consciousness, consumer knowledge, environmental concern, social norms, income levels, personal norms, education levels, promotion. Some of these factors such as health consciousness, knowledge, environmental concerns, promotion, and education levels will promote the consumption of green foods. On the other hand, social norms, personal norms and income levels were suggested to be factors impeding on the consumption of these products. In relation to the social and personal norms, Bekele et al (2017) study established that there were negative beliefs that the organic movements were introduced by foreign countries into the Chinese society.

The study conducted by Li et al (2019) concurred with Bekele et al (2017) highlighting individual norms, the health consciousness of the consumers, purchasing power, environmental concerns, animal welfare, consumer knowledge, and individual norms as the factors that affected the willingness of the consumers to purchase the green food products. Li et al (2019) bibliometric study established that the purchasing power of the consumers had been identified as the most important factor to the consumption of green products. This implies that affordability is the main reason keeping Chinese consumers away from the products and some consumers are not willing to pay extra for the health and environmental benefits associated to green products. This is in line with McCarthy et al (2015) assertion that the growth in incomes in China had increased the demand for green products. This implies that fluctuations in household incomes in China contributes to fluctuations in the level of demand for green products. Furthermore, the importance of disposable income to the consumption of green foods explains McCarthy et al (2015) conclusion that there were opportunities for regional producers of green foods to target wealthy Chinese population. This means that producers and marketers of the green products may also be overlooking the middle-class and working populations hence the stagnation of the Chinese green market.

The challenge of knowledge poses an interesting problem for the Chinese community. Despite the concerted effort that the government and civil society have taken to improve knowledge of green food and food safety, recently conducted studies (Bekele et al, 2017; Liu et al, 2013) have established that there is low knowledge of green foods and food safety. The lack of knowledge on green food and food safety in the Chinese society is more interesting given the numerous food safety cases that have been encountered in the Chinese economy in the recent past. Noted that China had experienced incidents such as illegal food addictive use, shoddy products, excess preservatives, labelling infringements, and illegal use of sweeteners (Liu et al, 2019). Bekele et al (2017) found that the level of knowledge was important to the decisions that consumer made on the green foods. This study also noted that platforms such as local governments, social networks, ecological organizations and advertisements helped to create awareness within the society. However, there appears to be disagreement on the level of knowledge of green products within the Chinese society. Liu et al (2013) found that there was low level of knowledge of safe foods within the Chinese society. Looking at the above pieces of literature information, the following hypothesis was developed for the purpose of this study:

H₃: Consumer attitude positively affects young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

2.2.4. The Distribution Method

Access to green food products has been identified as an important problem facing the green food industry. Jiang et al (2019) assessed the effects that distribution of green food labelled products through online platforms had on demand and consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium. The study established that consumers on the online platforms were willing to pay a price premium for the product while the same did not exist with the offline distribution channels. This study associated this to the ability of the online platforms to provide adequate information to the consumers. This concurs with Bekele et al (2017) finding that the level of knowledge about the organic and green products did affect their demand within the Chinese society. Therefore, the following hypothesis was developed in relation to this research study:

H₄: Distribution methods strongly affects young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

2.2.5. Legal framework

The legal framework has been highlighted as an important element affecting the growth of the industry. The government may have been heavily involved in the establishment of the green food industry in China in 1990s as a way to counter the problems of environmental degradation and negative international press on Chinese food products in the international markets (Paull, 2008). Chen et al (2015) established that China is far behind the European Union in terms of regulations and noted that the numerous food safety incidents that the country had encountered in the past few years was evidence that there was need to improve the country’s regulatory framework. For instance, pork from China was found to contain clenbuterol in 2011, toxic ginger in 2013, and sale of expired mean in 2014 (Chen et al, 2015).

Although the Chinese government has made concerted efforts to improve food safety in the country through stringent laws, food safety incidents still occur (Liu et al, 2019). The food regulation regime in China has gone through numerous changes as the government seeks to improve its efficiency. The 2015 to date regime promotes industry self-discipline and social co-governance, which is marked by the strengthening of social groups such as food industry consumer federation. The objective of these federations is to promote food safety knowledge and help in developing procedures to govern the industry. Despite the involvement of different stakeholders and sharing decentralizing the responsibility of food safety, the governance structure still experiences significant weaknesses. According to Liu et al. (2019), there is still need to improve facilitation of the social governance structures, coordination of government agencies, and nurturing the culture of food safety.

The findings from Chen et al. (2015) demonstrates that the inadequacy of the regulatory framework in China arises mostly from lack of the desire to comply with the legal framework in the domestic market. Chen et al. (2015), interestingly, found that China was able to meet the food safety requirements for export markets such as the European Union by employing co-regulations with a number of institutions responsible for the process of ensuring that the safety requirements in the international markets are complied with. However, the study found that the food producers were not able to meet the food standards for the domestic markets. This shows that the government institutions have disproportionally focused on the international market at the expense of the domestic market, which can explain the lack of adequate oversight infrastructure as demonstrated by Liu et al. (2019). Berti (2015), on his part, felt that the Chinese legislation of green foods was holding back the culture, especially the practical implementation of the legislation. Berti (2015) argued that there were two important types of laws in China. The first captured the law that was implemented and may contain roadside declarations that are not built on the law. The second element of the law captures the elements of the law that are not implemented despite being entrenched in law.

A study conducted by Leggett (2017) observed that the growth of green food consumption within China can be credited to the activities of the civil society. The activism of the civil society has helped to fill the void that exists within governance. These organizations have especially helped by changing the consumer culture on the consumption of green food by promoting these foods and demonstrating their benefits over the normal foods both on the health of the consumers and on the environment. This study also shows that the civil society has been composed of consumers, farmers, retailers, and non-governmental institutions. However, the effectiveness of the civil society continues to be impacted by enduring weaknesses in the regulatory framework in the country with the government unable to effectively enforce the standards established with the help of the civil society. Having looked at different piece literature, this study developed the following hypothesis:

H₅: Legal framework strongly affects young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

2.2.6. Research Gap

2.3.Theoretical Review

The theory of planned behaviour and theory of reasoned action have been commonly used in the study of behaviours. Therefore, they provide the appropriate theoretical grounding for this study as they explain why consumers are likely to consume green foods or shun the same. The study will rely on these theories in explaining consumer behaviours.

2.3.1. Theory of Planned Behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour was developed by Ajzen (1985). The central premise of this theory is that behavioural human decisions are a result of a process that is well reasoned with attitudes, perceived behavioural control and norms playing an influential role (Sommer, 2011). Sommer (2011) argued that individuals’ behaviours are usually driven by consequences arising from their behaviours, the presence or absence of elements that impedes or facilitates a behaviour as well as their beliefs about their normative expectation other people place on them. Applying this theory to consumption of green products, individuals may choose to consume green food because they expect to benefit from its consumption or the consumption of the products conforms to the expectations of their social groups. Furthermore, they may fail to consume the products because of factors that impede its consumption such as high prices or inaccessibility of the products.

The theory of planned behaviour has numerous strengths and weaknesses. Jokonya (2017) noted that the main strength of this theory is that it has been widely adopted in a large number of disciplines ranging from sociology to psychology. The flexibility of the theory across numerous fields makes it appropriate for this case. On the other hand, the theory is characterised by numerous weaknesses. Ajzen (1991) noted that the theory was supported by empirical review despite the various unresolved issues it had faced since its establishment. Another weakness associated with this theory is that it is somewhat abstract with the beliefs not associated with any given behaviour and vice versa. As a result, the task of associating beliefs with behaviours is left to the discretion of the researchers making the theory easy to manipulate (Jakonya, 2017). These few limitations demonstrate that the theory has underlying issues and its popularity cannot gloss over them.

2.3.2. Theory of Reasoned Action

The theory of reasoned action, like the theory of planned behaviour, is based on three constructs: behavioural intention, subjective norms, and attitude (Otieno et al, 2016). This theory holds that the intentions influence the behaviours that individuals adopt and a given behaviour will likely occur when individuals and attitudes, their beliefs and the subjective norms are positive. However, there is need to observe that there are times when there is conflict between these variables. For instance, an individual may have a positive attitude a behaviour, but the normative beliefs of his social groupings does not support the said behaviour. In such an environment, an individual would be compelled not to undertake the behaviour because it may lead to negative backlash.

The main benefit of this theory is that it has largely been adopted with other theories to explain a wide range of behaviours including technology absorption as well as other new habits (Nguyen et al, 2018). Therefore, this study would be appropriate to explain the adoption of green products among the Chinese population. Specifically, this theory is helpful at explaining the roles that the personal factors, the social norms (subjective norms) and the beliefs have on individuals’ decision absorption or refusal to adopt the technologies.

2.4.Summary

The literature review shows that social factors, economic factors, consumer attitudes, legal framework, and distribution methods have significant effect on the growth of the green food industry in China. The theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behaviour show that the behaviours of consumers are predicted by the consumers intentions which is predicted by the consumers’ beliefs, subjective norms, and their personal attitudes towards the behaviour. The social factors and legal framework shape the subjective norms and consumers’ beliefs. Lastly, the economic factors, social factors and distribution methods are likely to affect the attitudes that consumers have towards the products.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

3.1.Overview

This section highlights and discusses the methodology that will be used to evaluate the effects of the factors identified in literature review (social factors, economic choice, distribution methods, legal framework, and consumer attitudes) on the development of green food industry in China focusing on the young customers aged between 18 and 35 years. This chapter discusses the philosophical justifications and practical considerations that the researcher makes to lay the foundation for the study. It will also highlight the practical considerations that the researcher will have to make to ensure that the research is completed in a valid way. This section will also discuss the techniques and instruments used to collect data from the participants. Furthermore, this chapter will discuss the research variables and research questions to be investigated. In addition, the chapter will highlight the sources used to collect data and the techniques to be used to analyze the data collected as well as the reliability and validity of the data. Lastly, the researcher uses this chapter to highlight the ethical considerations to be made to ensure that this research is valid and complies with all the research requirements to protect the participants, data, and the researcher.

3.2.Philosophical Justification and Practical Considerations

The research philosophy that researchers adopt determine their beliefs about how knowledge is developed as well as the nature of knowledge. The research philosophy guides the research strategy choice, the researcher’s formulation of the research problem, the methods used to collect, process and analyze the data (Zakauskas et al, 2018). Research philosophies are categorized into epistemology (what constitutes acceptable knowledge), ontology (nature of knowledge), and axiology (value) (Saunders et al, 2009). This implies that a researcher has to decide what is they consider to be the acceptable knowledge by considering the methods through which the knowledge has been acquired, the nature of knowledge reflects on how they believe that reality relates to the actors.

According to Saunders et al (2009), there are three main epistemological approaches: positivism, interpretivism, and realism. Positivism refers to working with an observable social reality that follows a law-like principle. According to Aliyu et al (2014), positivism involves testing the cause and effect relationship. Interpretivism, on the other hand, involves interpreting the social roles that the actors play to develop a set of meanings. According to Saunders et al (2009), this approach is based on the assumption that researchers cannot separate research phenomenon from the social actors. Realism emphasizes the use of senses to perceive the truth as this construct is seen to exist independent of the mind and the researcher can easily independently observe it without involving the social actors. In this study, the researcher shall employ positivism as it allows the researcher to rely on scientific research methods as the researcher believes that the phenomenon can be studied independently from the social actors. The factors that affect the consumption of green food in China can be isolated from the consumers as they are not merely social constructs of the respondents (consumers).

In regard to ontology, Saunders et al (2009) identified objectivism and subjectivism as the two main natures of knowledge. Objectivism implies that the social entities exist in a reality that is external to the social actors, which means that the social phenomenon can be studied separate from the social actors. On the other hand, subjectivism holds that social phenomenon is the creation of the social actors’ perceptions and actions. The use of positivism, and consequently the scientific methods, requires the researcher to adopt an objective approach. Therefore, this study will adopt an objective ontological approach to allow the researcher to assess the existence of a causative relationship between the factors identified and the consumption of green products in China.

Researchers consider the axiological philosophies to add value to their research. Axiology refers to the value of the research and the objective of is to ensure that the research is credible (Saunders et al, 2009). Viega (2016) argued that the axiology will address the ethical value of a research. In this case, the researcher undertakes to ensure that the process of gaining knowledge on the research phenomenon is conducted overboard to ensure that the methods used to collect and analyze the data conform to the laid down procedure by both the school and the local authorities. All the relevant regulations will be followed and any relevant authorities are consulted before the study can begin.

3.3.Research Technique

There are numerous techniques that a researcher can adopt, according to Saunders et al (2009), including experiment, case study, survey, grounded theory, action research, ethnography, and archival research. This study will adopt a descriptive survey by focusing on young people aged between 18 and 35 years. Descriptive study demonstrates that the participants will be required to describe the research phenomenon to help the researcher identify the cause-effects of the various factors under investigation (Loeb e al, 2017). It is important to observe that the researcher will not manipulate the respondents or the circumstances under which the data is collected.

A researcher encounters the problem of deciding whether to adopt qualitative or quantitative research. The decision on the approach to adopt is based on the earlier philosophical decisions undertaken. This study sought to adopt quantitative research approach as the study seeks to establish the existence of cause and effect relationship. Therefore, quantitative approach will provide standardized approach of collecting and analyzing data makes the findings of the study generalizable (Daniel, 2016). Furthermore, the findings of the study are replicable. It is important to observe that there are limitations in the use of the qualitative research approach with Daniel (2016) arguing that this approach results in detachment of the researcher from the research as the researcher is relegated to the role of an observer. Furthermore, this study approach is inflexible given that the researcher develops a rigid system that will be adopted to collect data from the respondents.

There are numerous characteristics of quantitative research approaches that any research should observe. First, statistical and mathematical analysis are used to process and analyze the numerical data (Basias&Pollalis, 2018). Furthermore, the qualitative approach entails verifying or testing a theory or hypotheses. Furthermore, questionnaires are usually adopted to collect data from the participants through short-structured answers that can easily be quantified for comparisons. Since questionnaires can be used for both qualitative and quantitative research, the questionnaires used for the quantitative research has to use closed questions (Basias&Pollalis, 2018).

3.4.Variables

As noted earlier, a quantitative research analysis focuses on developing and testing hypothesis to establish the cause and effect relationship between variables. Framing a research problem by identifying the research variables (independent and dependent variables) is important in any given quantitative research. An independent variable, according to Flannelly et al (2014), is the variable that affects the dependent variable. On the other hand, the dependent variable is the variable that the researcher expects to be affected by the independent variables.

As observed in the literature review (gap analysis section), this study identified five important factors affecting the consumption of green foods in China: (a) social factors, (b) economic choice, (c) consumer attitude, (d) distribution methods, and (e) legal framework. These will represent the independent variables while the consumers consumption behavior of the green foods shall be used be treated as the dependent variable. As a result, the following are the research hypothesis that this study will test the following null hypothesis:

H₀1: Social factors have no affect young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

H₀2: Economic factors have no effects on young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

H₀3: Consumer attitude has no effects on young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

H₀4: Distribution methods has no effects on young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

H₀5: Legal framework has no effect on young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

To collect data the data to test these hypotheses, the study will adopt closed-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire will be divided into seven sections: (1) respondents demographic characteristics, (2) social factors among young consumers, (3) economic factors affecting young consumers, (4) distribution methods to young consumers, (5) consumer attitude towards green food, (6) legal framework regulating green food, and (7) consumption of green foods in China. The questionnaire will employ the Likert scale to develop the closed questionnaires that will test these hypotheses. Although the tool has its limitations, it is popularly used in studies and has been shown to be reliable.

3.5.Data Sources and Collection

The first step of defining the research population is to define the general population. According to Asiamah et al (2017), the general population refers to all the individuals that meet the general criteria of the research. In this case, all the individuals that live in China and are aged between 18 and 35 years. Afterwards, it is important to define the target population that excludes individuals that are unable to provide accurate information on the subject. The researcher argues that students are best placed to provide this information given that a large section of individuals within this age bracket can easily be accessed at school for both undergraduate and postgraduate. Furthermore, students are more likely to be competent on the subject in comparison to individuals randomly picked from the streets in China. To narrow the target population and further define the population that the researcher can easily access, the researcher chose to focus on Peking University. Therefore, data will be collected from students at Peking University as colleges have a high concentration of individuals aged between 18 and 35 years.

To identify the individuals that will take part in the study, the researcher shall use random sampling method. This method was chosen because it offers a fair chance to each individual within the target population. Furthermore, the probabilistic nature of the sampling method ensures that the resultant sample is representative of the population (Sharma, 2017). Therefore, this will ensure that the research findings are generalizable to the whole population, which is the intention of the study. To conduct the sampling, the researcher will approach one faculty in the University and request to conduct the research during the faculty’s classes.

The researcher will randomly choose the classes to attend. It is imperative to observe that the researcher will attend undergraduate and postgraduate classes to ensure that there is a high variability of the respondents. At the entrance to the classrooms, the researcher will identify every thirteenth student and request them to answer a questionnaire. This will continue at different classes until the researcher has sampled a total of 150 students.

3.6.Analysis, Validity and Reliability

The researcher will use quantitative data analysis methods using SPSS (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences). The researcher will need to ensure that the questionnaire developed is reliable and valid to ensure that the research is of acceptable quality. According to Ghazali (2016), the validity implies that the data collection instrument is able to collect the data that it is supposed to. There numerous types of validity though this study will mainly focus on content validity and construct validity. Content validity assesses whether a research instrument measures the concepts that it is supposed to measure while construct validity assesses whether the instrument accurately measures the construct that it is developed to measure.

Reliability refers to the extent to which the test scores collected in a study are free from measurement implying that the instrument is able to accurately measure the research phenomenon (Ghazali, 2016). To measure the questionnaire’s construct reliability, this study shall use the Cronbach Alpha and construct validity measured using EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis) with data collected from a sample sharing similar characteristics to the research sample. In this case, the researcher will use the questionnaire to collect data from Peking University. The reason why we’ll conduct this pilot study in the same University where the main data will be collected is to enable us test crucial components of the main study before conducting the full-scale study. However, the participants in the pilot study will not be included in the main study because they will have a prior exposure to the test items, something that might result to biasness of the study results. A total of 30 participants will be involved in this pilot to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The researcher will rely on personal discretion to assess the content analysis of the questionnaire by assessing the responses that the participants provide in the pilot study. It is important to observe that relevant adjustments should be made in the questionnaire depending on the outcomes of the reliability and validity tests.

After the main study has been conducted, the researcher will use the SPSS package to generate descriptive, correlation, and regression statistics. The descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the data collected while correlation and regression analysis will be used to assess the five hypothesis by testing the linear relationships that exist between the independent variables and the dependent variable. It is important to observe that the relationships and the linear models will be assessed at 95% of confidence. To conduct this analysis, the data will first be transferred from the questionnaires to the SPSS package by manually typing the responses in the respondents’ questionnaires.

3.7.Ethical Issues

The researcher will have to make numerous ethical considerations to ensure that the research is valid and valuable as observed by the axiological philosophy (Saunders et al, 2009). A researcher is expected to ensure that the following issues are addressed in the process of conducting the research: (a) respect for the participant’s privacy, (b) the confidentiality and anonymity of the participants, (c) informed consent, and (d) safeguarding the integrity of the research data (Akaranga&Makau, 2016; Fouka&Manzorou, 2011).

First, the researcher will ensure that informed consent is sought from the participants and the relevant authorities. The relevant authorities including the universities will be requested to allow the researcher to conduct the studies within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the researcher will ensure that the regulations on research in Beijing are complied with. The researcher will also prepare and offer a consent form to the participants to ensure that they provide their approval for the data collected to be used for the purposes of the study.

The researcher will also have to protect the privacy of the respondents. In this study, this will be achieved by ensuring that personal information about the participants is not collected. Furthermore, the researcher shall not read the responses immediately the questionnaire has been received to ensure that the specific answers provided by the respondent remain confidential even to the researcher. Confidentiality and privacy of the participants will further be guaranteed by ensuring that the data collected is stored under lock and key. Furthermore, the data will be stored in a password protected flash disk. The researcher will safeguard the integrity of the research data by ensuring that the data collected is not manipulated so that the findings accurately depict the opinions of the research participants.

3.8 Conclusion

Having established a research gap on the exploration of various factors affecting development of green food industry, this research aims to fill this gap by: looking at the effects of social factors on young consumers’ consumption of green food; giving an assessment on the effects of economic factors on young consumers’ consumption of green food; assessing the effects of consumer attitude on young consumers’ consumption of green foods;looking at the effects of distribution channels adopted on the young consumers’ consumption of green foods and finally; assessing the effects of the legal framework on the young consumers’ consumption of green foods in China.

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APPENDIX

4.1.Appendix 1: Self-Reflection

The process of preparing the dissertation has been quite insightful and has made me appreciate the numerous tools and techniques devised for this purpose. I have learnt how each decision made at the different steps of the study impacts heavily on the subsequent parts starting from the choice of the research topic. In this case, the research topic influenced the literature that I reviewed, which in turn informed the literature gap that I identified. Although the research philosophy may appear farfetched, it was evident that this decision can change the shape of the research as determines how data is to be collected and analyzed. In addition, I have learnt that ensuring that ethical standards are upheld is important even though they may not interfere with the reality, where data has not been manipulated.

However, conducting this research during the covid-19 pandemic has also proved challenging to some extent. There are several measures set by different health departments which are likely to affect the manner in which data for this research will be obtained. Unlike in the past, where researchers organized to direct interactions with participantsto conduct face-to-face data collection, this will be limited during this research. Although this pandemic has intensified challenges in the field of research, the unprecedented development has also dealt major blow to researchers with dire need of conducting research in actual research fields. The social distancing rule continues to present challenges to research interactions between researchers and respondents. As a result, this research resulted to limited number of participants, with whom all the necessary covid-19 rules will be observed.

To Explore Factors Affecting the Development of Green Food Industry

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1.Introduction