Proceedings of The 7th International Conference on Research in Business, Management and Finance
Year: 2024
DOI:
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How Relics of the Past Influence Consumer Behavior Trends Today: The Impact of Famines On Consumer Behavior During Another Challenging Time Of COVID-19
Iliyas Kabdylmazhit
ABSTRACT:
This study examines the relationship and connection between the experience of famine by certain nations and the behavior of the same nation’s consumers concerning food consumption during COVID-19. The case of COVID-19 is taken as a recent challenging period of modern times, when food security remained uncertain in the year of 2020 and consequently made its impact on consumer behavior of all the nations along the world. Meat is probably one of the most consumed and popular high-protein foods in the world, for this particular reason, in this work, meat is considered as the basic food that to a great extent represents consumers’ demand on basic foods. If we take a look at the COVID-19 period overall, the world’s meat consumption trend tends to decline considering the 2020 year, however there are certain regions that represent an increase in the consumption of meat. Interestingly, some nations that have shown such a response on uncertain food security problems during COVID-19, may have something in common, such as experiencing famine in the past century. The examples of regions that faced one of the most cruel famine outcomes will be taken to examine: Kazakhstan (1930-1933), Ukraine (1932-1933), China (1959-1961), Saint Petersburg (former Leningrad, 1941-1944). Famine is a destructive phenomenon, when the mental health of people suffers significantly, with chronic food insecurity leading to high levels of stress and anxiety, often resulting in severe depression and feelings of hopelessness. Such a collective experience, of course, has a high probability to be passed and taught along the generations, since people of the past have probably taught their children to be ready for the challenges of famine they faced.
keywords: Consumer behavior inheritance, COVID-19 consumer responses, famines, subconscious consumer behavior, meat consumption trends