Willingness to Pay for Traceable Meat Attributes: A Meta-analysis

Several researches evaluated consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) for each meat traceable attribute, generating a great deal of information in this regard, although specific to the conditions of each study. In light of this, WTP estimates for traceability characteristics differ across the literature, leading sometimes to contrasting interpretations. Seeking a full, meaningful statistical description of the findings of a collection of studies, the meta-analysis allows us to analyze consistency across studies and control for factors thought to drive variations in WTP estimates. The meta-analysis has been conducted using 23 studies that, in aggregate, report 88 valuations for WTP. Our results, aside from releasing unconditional information on the WTP for single meat traceable attributes, show how certain study-specific characteristics, like the base price and the country where the study has been conducted, have a significant impact on WTP estimatesMeta-analysis, food traceability, Willingness to Pay, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Production Economics, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Risk and Uncertainty,

WTP for Traceable Meat Attributes: A Meta‐analysis

Several researches evaluated consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) for each meat traceable attribute, generating a lot of information in this regard, although related to the conditions of each study. In light of this, WTP estimates for traceability characteristics largely differ across the literature, leading sometimes to contrasting interpretations. Seeking a full, meaningful statistical description of the findings of a collection of studies, the meta ‐analysis allows us analyzing the consistency across studies and controlling for factors thought to drive variations in WTP estimates. The meta‐analysis has been conducted of 23 studies that, in aggregate, report 92 valuations for WTP

The influence of country of origin on German consumer preferences for peaches: a latent class choice model

Germany is an important world level market for fresh fruit. Spain and Italy are the main suppliers of fresh fruit on the German market while the main imported products are apple, grapes, peaches and oranges. The aim of this paper is to assess the role country of origin plays in the preferences of German consumers for peaches. Since German legislation requires fresh fruit sold on the market to clearly display the product’s country of origin, German consumers usually make their choice with this information to hand. How important is such information, and what is the trade-off between country of origin and price or organic production system? We attempted to investigate such concerns through a choice experiment approach conducted by means of a questionnaire-based survey administered to a representative sample of 300 German households. In the experiment, respondents were asked to choose their favorite peach among four alternatives. Each peach was described as imported from four specific countries (Italy, Spain, Turkey and France) and available at a specific price; some of the peaches were certified Organic or PDO. The stated choices are analyzed using a latent class choice model to derive estimates of preferences for peaches. Results indicate the presence of three distinct consumer segments in the German peach market. The largest segment (48%) showed a strong preference for Italian peaches as well as for organic and PDO certification. For this segment, price was not an important attribute. The second segment (41%) showed a strong preference for Spanish produce and organic certification. Price was important in this case. The third segment (11%) had a negative preference for Italian and Spanish peaches, with price being the main attribute.Germany peach market, consumer preferences, latent class choice models, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Willingness to Pay for Traceable Meat Attributes: A Meta-analysis

 Several researches evaluated consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) for each meat traceable attribute, generating a great deal of information in this regard, although specific to the conditions of each study. In light of this, WTP estimates for traceability characteristics differ across the literature, leading sometimes to contrasting interpretations. Seeking a full, meaningful statistical description of the findings of a collection of studies, the meta-analysis allows us to analyze consistency across studies and control for factors thought to drive variations in WTP estimates. The meta-analysis has been conducted using 23 studies that, in aggregate, report 88 valuations for WTP. Our results, aside from releasing unconditional information on the WTP for single meat traceable attributes, show how certain study-specific characteristics, like the base price and the country where the study has been conducted, have a significant impact on WTP estimates

Different Tubers for Different Consumers: Heterogeneity in Human Values and Willingness to Pay for Social Outcomes of Potato Credence Attributes

This paper investigates heterogeneity in consumers’ human values and willingness to pay (WTP) for social outcomes of credence process attributes that might have some positive social impact on purchases of early potatoes in Italy and Germany. Consumers’ identification with cross‐cultural human values is measured according to the Schwartz’ Portrait Values Questionnaire; the distribution of preferences for product attributes that claim a positive social impact among respondents with different human values is modeled using mixed logit analysis. Parallel survey studies were conducted in each country with the intention of comparing the impact of human values using the Schwartz Values framework on willingness to pay for early potatoes with several credence process attributes that may signal a positive social outcome as a result of purchase (price, country of origin, carbon footprint certification, ethical certification, and method of production). This paper aims to help clarify the role, if any, that pro‐social consumer values have in influencing the willingness to pay for specific food credence process attributes that claim to have a social impact. To the best of our knowledge this is one of the first paper to focus on the role human values have in influencing the willingness to pay for specific extrinsic food attributes

The role of modern retailers to ensure quality in the food sector: the case of organic strawberry consumption in Italy

Major changes have occurred in the agri-food sector, generating new and more complex concepts of food quality. One of the most significant indicators of these changes is market restructuring, in terms of rapid concentration among retailers, the dominance of chain stores and their imposition of cost and quality constraints. Retailers currently play a more important role in ensuring food product quality and safety than public authorities. To analyze this new aspect in the food sector, we carried out a survey on organic strawberry consumption in Italy. This segment of the organic sector is particularly interesting because the conventional strawberry may be considered an unsafe product due to the large use of chemical inputs in the production process. Nevertheless, the demand for organic strawberries demand is fairly low. We attempted to investigate such concerns through a questionnaire-based survey submitted to a representative sample of 318 Italian households. The questionnaire was structured into three areas of information to collect data related to consumer preferences for different characteristics of organic strawberries and psychometric and socio-economic variables. The data were analyzed using a Logit model to derive a demand estimate for organic strawberries. Our first results indicate the presence of a major role played by modern retailers and consumer lifestyles to drive the final demand of high-quality and safe food products.food quality and food safety, organic strawberry consumption, modern retail, Logit model., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Ecological characteristics and new competitiveness strategies in fresh vegetables market

The intense process of internationalisation of the food market is giving rise to new competitive scenarios. The growth of market shares by new export countries, along with other consumer and retailer's issues impose different marketing policies for agri-food products. In particular, a wider awareness of consumers for environmental and health issues is modifying the structure of demand for fresh products. In the past, the country of origin and a convenient quality/price ratio were the main strategic strengths for gaining and maintaining international market shares . Nowadays market shares are gained by moving towards new product attributes, namely environment friendliness and food safety. This paper aims to suggesting new and more successful marketing strategies. The case study is the German market of cherry tomatoes. An analysis of German consumer preference was performed on stated choice data. Results provide interesting insights. Product attributes related to the environment are found to be relevant. As these are defined as 'faith' attributes, we speculate that German consumers refer to product origin country as a proxy of its environmental aspects. Two separate competitive segments emerge, one with a higher level of environmental quality (Germany and Italy), and Turkey, Spain, France and Holland. Finally, results point out how policies need to be redesigned and focused on new and more complex issues expressed by consumers in modern and developed markets marketing.competitiveness strategies, cherry tomato German market, environmental friendly, fresh vegetables, Mixed Nested Logit, International Relations/Trade, Marketing,

The contribution of organic sector in the Albanian agriculture

What is nowadays known as organic farming in Albania is at an initial phase. It is mainly located in the so called “marginal areas” by small farms. Organic market in Albania can be considered as at a very starting stage with small niches marketing point but with a growing interest of consumers for fresh productions with limited processing activities. The conditions for a better partaking in the country’s markets is, however, desirable since commercial and trade between Albania and other countries, mainly EU’s, is readily growing. The aim of the present research work is to present a descriptive analysis of the structural and productive indicators of the organic and, at large, the whole agriculture sector in Albania. The first part of the paper analyses the economical and social framework of today’s Albanian farming, which is still far from the European Union standards. Although organic farming in Albania is not as regulated as it is in the EU, we tried to outline to what extent organic farming can reach a productive and economical perspectives for local development. In the second part of the paper we analysed the situation of the potential of organic farms by means of a SWOT analysis. The strength and weakness points for the farms, together with the possibilities and threats of the organic market pointed out by environmental analysis, are selected with the intention of addressing the main issues, and attempting to delineate some peculiar policies and market intervention for overcoming the actual nodal points.Albanian agriculture, organic potential farms, SWOT analysis, premium price., Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Valuing Consumer Preferences with the CUB Model: A CaseStudy of Fair Trade Coffee

D'Elia and Piccolo (2005) have recently proposed a mixture distribution, named CUB, for ordinal data. The use of such a mixture distribution for modelling ratings is justified by the following consideration: the judgment that a subject expresses is the result of two components, uncertainty and selectiveness. The possibility of relating the parameters of CUB models to covariates makes the formulation interesting for practical applicationsIn this case study, a sample of 224 fair-trade coffee consumers were interviewed at stores. With this data-set, CUB model split consumers, according to their preferences, in two different segments: one showing high price elasticity, and one with a low price elasticity. As regards the potential of the CUB model, it showed a considerable integration capacity with stochastic utility models, namely latent class models. Indeed, by using the segmentation factors emerging from the CUB as covariates of segmentation in a latent class model and setting the number of classes equal to those emerging from the CUB, it was possible to estimate a model which not only validated the findings of the CUB but also allowed estimation of the WTP for the fair trade characteristic in the different groups

European Preferences for Pork Product and Process Attributes: A Generalized Random Utility Model for Ranked Outcome

The agri‐food sector and food consumption models have experienced both worldwide and in Europe a process of change that still appears ongoing. The main effects of this change are clearly visible in a whole series of new developments. The most interesting of these appears to be the role played by food product quality as a basis on which to implement modern marketing policies targeting an increasingly segmented market. This obviously makes it necessary for food consumption analysts to shed light on what it means, within today’s European and world consumption scenarios, to produce quality goods. On this point, in recent years the concept of quality may be said to have undergone rapid evolution. Quality has gone from meaning only intrinsic product attributes, hence synonymous with excellence, to a broader definition full of different meanings. (more...