Local Food Consumers: How Motivations and Perceptions Translate to Buying Behavior

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Understanding the Connections Between Consumer Motivations and Buying Behavior: The Case of the Local Food System Movement

Local and organic food systems represent some of the many food sector innovations of the past decade that signal that consumers are increasingly diverse and have heterogeneous preferences that reflect their unique values and preferences (Thilmany, Bond and Bond, 2008). Yet, regardless of the significant attention and growth surrounding sustainable foods, there is still a demand for research investigating the intersection of economic and psychological factors that can aid in predicting and explaining consumer behavior. This paper uses an attitude-behavior framework, the Theory of Planned Behavior, to explore the predictive ability of psychological concepts of willingness to pay for different attributes associated with sustainable foods. Consumer attitudes toward organic, fair trade and local labeled food as well as their level of "effectiveness" are measured in an effort to understand behavioral intentions. This study uses approximately 1000 responses from a 2008 nationwide survey of consumers to investigate the role of public benefits assigned to sustainable food products manifesting in a potential increase in willingness to pay.sustainable food, willingness to pay, theory of planned behavior, perceived consumer effectiveness, Agribusiness, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

Local and Organic: Substitutes or Complements? An In-Store Evaluation of Labels for Apples

Over the past two decades, consumer demand for niche products has grown substantially. The primary objective of this paper is to disentangle the value consumers place on two prominent food claims, organic and local (defined as Colorado Proud in this study) as they relate to fresh produce. Using primary data from a choice experiment conducted in a grocery store that has conducted co-promotional efforts with the Colorado Proud program, we found the value of the “local” claims trumps that of “organic” in apples. However, the difference in results between the experiments that offered participants either one- or two-pounds is far more pronounced, illustrating how scaling may influence estimates in such market-based research.choice experiment, local foods, organic, apple consumer demand, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Marketing, D12, Q11, Q18,

Understanding the effectiveness of Farm to School programs through food service professionals

October 2011.This study was intended to share perceptions and experiences from the initial years of Colorado Farm to School activities, with a particular focus of the perceived effectiveness of such programs in the eyes of one major stakeholder: the food service staff. Beyond providing a "school-eye view" of the program's impact on employee attitudes and student participation, the evaluation of food service stakeholders in the farm-to-school programs may ultimately lead to the development of 'best practices' for other schools to support their programs

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies: Who Informs Consumers about Produce Choices and Nutrition?

Food consumption trends in the U.S. may be affected by and/or contributing to the growth in food- and nutrition-related information channels. Information channels are increasing in number, as are the sources (McCluskey & Swinnnen 2004) that provide information. This paper examines consumer perceptions of the relative desirability of various food and nutrition information sources and education methods as well as the relative credibility of various food and nutrition sources. Using data from a 2006 nationwide consumer survey, comparative summary statistics show significant differences between information delivery methods and sources that consumers use and trust. By understanding how consumers receive and value information we can better target consumer groups.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Understanding the Connections Between Consumer Motivations and Buying Behavior: The Case of the Local Food System Movement

Local and organic food systems represent some of the many food sector innovations of the past decade that signal that consumers are increasingly diverse and have heterogeneous preferences that reflect their unique values and preferences (Thilmany, Bond and Bond, 2008). Yet, regardless of the significant attention and growth surrounding sustainable foods, there is still a demand for research investigating the intersection of economic and psychological factors that can aid in predicting and explaining consumer behavior. This paper uses an attitude-behavior framework, the Theory of Planned Behavior, to explore the predictive ability of psychological concepts of willingness to pay for different attributes associated with sustainable foods. Consumer attitudes toward organic, fair trade and local labeled food as well as their level of "effectiveness" are measured in an effort to understand behavioral intentions. This study uses approximately 1000 responses from a 2008 nationwide survey of consumers to investigate the role of public benefits assigned to sustainable food products manifesting in a potential increase in willingness to pay

Local and Organic: Substitutes or Complements? An In-Store Evaluation of Labels for Apples

Over the past two decades, consumer demand for niche products has grown substantially. The primary objective of this paper is to disentangle the value consumers place on two prominent food claims, organic and local (defined as Colorado Proud in this study) as they relate to fresh produce. Using primary data from a choice experiment conducted in a grocery store that has conducted co-promotional efforts with the Colorado Proud program, we found the value of the “local” claims trumps that of “organic” in apples. However, the difference in results between the experiments that offered participants either one- or two-pounds is far more pronounced, illustrating how scaling may influence estimates in such market-based research