Resilience to environmental pressure through quality food demand. The case of Romania

The paper focuses on the Romanian consumer behavior and perceptions related to meat consumption, following that it is deeply embedded in the Romanian dietary food culture. The meat consumption is an indicator of the population welfare degree and it is often used in assessing the food safety. The novelty lies in the investigation of meat consumption hindering factors, with a special emphasis on those related to the environmental protection. The main research objective was to evaluate the importance attached by consumers to meat products safety in order to develop resilience to environmental pressure through quality food production and consumption. Statistical analysis revealed the interest in meat free-off antibiotics, hormones and no genetically modified. From a pratical perspective, the results indicate directions that policy-making should follow to adapt the production sector to the market demands, along with promoting a more sustainable consumption pattern.