Introduction
As globalization is felt throughout society, society's way of life has
progressed toward a foreign way of life in terms of food consumption.
Traditional eating "kakanin" is no longer desired, especially among young
people, who prefer fast food because it is perceived to be more powerful.
Traditional food, according to Fernández-Ferrn et al. (2018), is often defined
as a type of local food that has a relatively long history among local food
products in an area. Traditional food is a representation of a group that
belongs to a specific area and a culture formed in Bertozzi's territory in this
context (1998). Similarly, Jordana (2000) emphasizes the strong link
between traditional food and a specific location, stating that "in order to be
traditional, a product must be linked." (you should give more emphasis in
discussing the introduction of your topic. Just like telling your reader what
your topic is and why it's interesting or important.). Almost all kakanin
varieties have distinct, unusual, and quirky names. Every one of them has a
history as rich and ingrained in our culture as the delicacy it refers to. Native
delicacies are well-known in Lagonoy's Partido district in Camarines Sur.
Binamban is one of its well-known foods (dubbed as the Glorious Food of
Lagonoy). The majority of the existing literature is limited to examining and
describing consumer motivations toward and perceptions of traditional foods.
In addition to binamban, they also have arroyo, balisuso, bibingka, cassava
roll, latik, etc. Using interviews, for instance, Guerrero et al. (2009, 2010)
were able to elicit words related to conventional food items. Likewise,
Pieniak et al. (2009) discussed the reasons for consuming traditional foods,
and Almli et al. (2011) looked at consumers' perceptions of traditional foods
in terms of attributes and how they present themselves to others. In order
to understand how young people in Lagonoy behave when purchasing
traditional foods, the current study applies the value-belief-norm (VBN)
theory. (add more about the background of your study.) Individuals' pro-
environmental behaviors have been explained by the VBN theory (Stern et
al., 1999). Individuals also develop their own personal norms to carry out
particular actions in a variety of pro-social contexts, despite the fact that the
VBN theory was created and is frequently used in environmental protection
studies (Schwartz and Howard, 1981). According to earlier studies, the
choice of local foods by consumers is closely related to social integration into
the neighborhood, which is based on reciprocity and shared values (Gracia et
al., 2012; Weatherell et al., 2003). In light of this, consumers choose local
foods not only for their benefits but also because they want to support
farmers and the local community. Consequently, the VBN theory can be
applied to the current study context, where people feel obligated to engage
in pro-social behavior (i.e., to support the community and the nation by
buying goods from a specific region that are related to the region's
heritage). In addition, while studies have generally found sociodemographic
factors like age and gender to be significant in predicting food consumption,
comparisons across studies have produced inconsistent findings regarding
the importance of this relationship. In order to better understand the
relationship between social norms and behavioral intention as well as
between perceived beliefs, personal norms, and behavioral intention, this
study looks at the moderating effects of gender and age. This study applies
the VBN theory to examine youth behavior toward traditional products in
order to close the gaps in the literature on traditional products. This study
also makes an effort to broaden the scope of the VBN theory by
incorporating a crucial concept known as social norms. Prior research has
suggested that moral responsibility and social influence control people's
behavior in pro-social contexts (e.g., Schwartz and Howard, 1981; Stern et
al., 1999). This result supports Fishbein's (1967) hypothesis that taking into
account both objective and social norms can enhance pro-social behavior
predictability. This study will make an important theoretical contribution by
developing and testing a consumer behavior model toward traditional
products in a context that has not been widely discussed. Furthermore, this
study will contribute to the hospitality literature by identifying the process by
which consumer attitudes influence purchase intentions of traditional
products among youth. Empirically, the findings of this study can assist
traditional product vendors in developing effective marketing strategies to
remain competitive in the market.
