Country of origin and ethical standards in sustainable consumer behavior in the food market of Kazakhstan

The Purpose of this research is to identify, within contemporary scientific literature, assessment of the impact of Country of Origin (COO) factors and ethical appeals on sustainable consumer behaviour and brand equity in the food market of Kazakhstan. The purpose of this systematic literature review caused by the search the dominant influencing factors and to assess the sufficienc of existing research methodologies within the stated geographic context.

Methodology. The study uses a systematic analysis protocol, as well as sources and literature screening from databases Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. The materials were systematically analysed and classified according to the research methodology (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods) and their relevance to the Kazakhstani food market.

Originality/value. The review is the first scientific synthesis of the literature on country of Origin (COO) and ethical appeals, especially in relation to the food market in Kazakhstan. It clearly identifies and justifies a critical geographic gap in research, highlighting the discrepancy between global research frameworks and the need to obtain localized consumer insights in Central Asian markets.

Findings. The analysis shows that the Country of Origin is the dominant factor shaping consumption perception and brand equity in the food sector, while ethical appeals play a secondary, reinforcing role. An important finding is the lack of research on these consumer behaviour factors in the context of Kazakhstan, demonstrating that modern methodological approaches are insufficien to fill this knowledge gap in geographical context, despite the fact that mixed methods are the most prevalent approach in the broader literature.

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