When less isn't more and more isn't less: is there an overlap between “protected designation of origin”, “mountain product” and “organic” in Italy?

PurposeUsing a generic cheese as an anchor product, in this study consumers' preferences for different EU quality schemes have been investigated. Specifically, the study aims to understand whether "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO), "Organic" and "Mountain Product" labels are independent or if there are some synergies existing between them, questioning - at the same time - whether this alleged exchange of value plays a positive or negative role in terms of consumers' willingness to pay.Design/methodology/approachA discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted on 600 Italian consumers performing a random parameter logit model. The respondents were representative of the Italian population in terms of age, gender and geographical distribution. Consumers' preferences for the presence of "Organic" and "Mountain product" labels were assessed in the DCE, together with the effect of price, for both PDO and generic cheeses.FindingsConsumers are willing to pay a premium in price for "Organic" and "Mountain Product" per se, for cheese with and without the PDO denomination. Considering the interaction effects, results showed that the combined use of "Organic" and "Mountain Product" labels do not decrease consumers' intention to buy. However, when applied on a PDO product, these attributes generate a lower consumers' willingness to pay in comparison with the generic ones, highlighting a possible overlapping between them.Originality/valueDespite the abundant literature on EU quality schemes in many food categories, this study represents one of the first attempts to measure the interaction effect between different EU quality schemes

Is it really a piece of cake to label Geographical Indications with the Nutri-Score? Consumers’ behaviour and policy implications

To improve the dietary habits of the population, the EU, within the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), is strongly supporting the Nutri-Score (NS) Front Of Pack (FOP) label. Under the NS system, Geographical Indications (GIs) are generally scored as “unhealthy” food, given the predominance of products of animal origin among GIs which are, notoriously, high-fat products. This study aims to determine the impact of the NS label on consumers’ preferences for two Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses, in comparison with generic ones. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was conducted on 600 Italian consumers through the estimation of a Random Parameter Logit model. Results highlighted that Italian consumers are generally not familiar with the NS and perceive it as a positive characteristic of the product, even if it is signalling an unhealthy choice (D score). However, consumers aware of the Nutri-Score meaning are willing to pay less to buy a product considered “unhealthy” according to this system. Furthermore, we found that consumers who already knew the NS system have homogeneous behaviours in rejecting the product, independently of the association with a PDO certification. This result has important implications on the agri-food sector. If the Nutri-Score becomes mandatory in the EU, consumers might refuse many GIs due to their negative Nutri-Score values. However, the quality of these products is recognized and protected worldwide. In this vein, the GI policy could be questioned by the F2F strategy: both of them aims to reduce information asymmetry producing, at the same time, contrasting results. Within the Geographical Indication policy, the PDO and PGI goods are protected for their quality attributes, which are strictly linked to their geographical origin of the products and traditional know-how. However, the EU adoption of the Nutri-Score could damage these products, reducing their perceived quality/value

Does Italian origin really determine a price premium for fluid milk? Evidences from a hedonic price analysis

The regulation 1169/2011, which aims to protect the consumers in relation to food information, stresses the fact that the country of origin is become a key attribute for consumers in their purchasing decision. In 2014, the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, with the Decree of 9 December 2016 \ue2' based on art. 26 of Reg. 1169/2011-introduced the obligation of labelling the country origin of milk used in all dairy products and therefore for the first time for uht milk. In this context, the aim of the study is to evaluate the price premium of different quality attributes on uht milk sold in Italy, with particular regard to the country of origin of milk. From the analysis, it emerges that Italian origin of milk has a significant and positive effect on price, together with the type of retailer (i.e. hypermarket), notorious brands, plastic packaging, high and middle placement on the shelves, organic attribute and the enrichment with omega 3, phosphorus or fibre

Factors behind consumers' choices for healthy fruits: a review of pomegranate and its food derivatives

Due to the rising interest in healthy products, superfoods such as pomegranate have begun to spread widely on the international market in recent years. Identification of the consumer choice determinants is a key factor behind the success of innovative products. Nevertheless, to date, there has been no comprehensive analysis of consumers’ preferences for pomegranate. The aim of this study is to understand the characteristics of pomegranate and its derivatives that are most preferred by consumers and to identify the buyers’ profiles by performing a systematic review (SR). The results suggest that there is not equal interest in the literature in all areas of the review. Indeed, most efforts have been made in characterizing the products, whereas consumers’ profiles and their willingness to pay for the various products features have been scarcely investigated. The SR highlights that consumer preference is first correlated with taste and, in particular, with the sweetness (positively) and astringency (negatively) of the product. The red colour and uniform shape of the husk are attractive attributes for consumers, as is the juiciness of the arils. Some innovative methods of product storage, such as intermittent heating (for fruits) and the use of pectin methyl esterase (for arils), guarantee higher consumer acceptability due to the maintenance of product genuineness. Moreover, familiarity with the product seems to be the main driver influencing consumers’ purchase decisions; in addition, people who are more “future oriented” are more willing to pay for pomegranate because of the nutraceutical attributes stressed on the label

Heterogeneity in consumer preferences for ready-to-eat pomegranate: an empirical study in Italy

Purpose: The present study aims at analysing consumer preferences for the pomegranate fruit, focussing on the effect of ready-to-eat format (i.e. packaged arils) on the purchasing choice, together with several products\u2019 attributes as the origin, the packaging typology and the price. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a choice experiment (CE) among 626 Italian consumers from Veneto region through an online survey. The study estimates both a conditional logit (CL) and a latent class logit model (LCM). Findings: By segmenting the sample based on the heterogeneous preferences of consumers, it can distinguish \u201ceco-friendly consumers\u201d, \u201ctime-saving lovers\u201d, \u201cnationalists\u201d and \u201cprice sensitive\u201d subjects. Interestingly, the marginal willingness to pay for ready-to-eat arils is positive for the \u201ctime-saving lovers\u201d that are mainly young consumers. The Italian origin has always a positive effect on the choice, whereas a negative effect is found for the price. Finally, the eco-friendly package has both a negative and a positive effect. Research limitations/implications: The sample of this study is not representative of the population and the CE has a hypothetical nature. It follows that further research will link the economic analysis to a consumer test on a more representative sample. Practical implications: This study can be useful for the pomegranate producers and the industry because it provides original evidence that could drive their business and marketing strategies, for instance, the preference for ready-to-eat arils. Originality/value: This study is one of the first seeking to determine the factors that affect consumers' preferences for pomegranate arils