“Local Production”: What Do Consumers Think?

Valentina Maria Merlino, Alessandro Sciullo, Giacomo Pettenati, Francesco Sottile, Cristiana Peano and Stefano Massaglia
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Valentina Maria Merlino: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Alessandro Sciullo: Department of Culture, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Giacomo Pettenati: Department of Culture, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Francesco Sottile: Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 14, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Cristiana Peano: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Stefano Massaglia: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Since the mid-1990s, there has been a growing interest among consumers and producers in downscaling to a local level the length of the agri-food chains as a solution for fairer and more sustainable food production systems. From the point of view of consumption, the attribute “local” is assuming an important role in defining food purchasing preferences, both in terms of expectations of product quality and in terms of its perceived relevance in determining the supply chain sustainability. This research aims to define how individuals’ perception of local production influences the definition of “local” among consumers based on a survey submitted to a sample of 500 consumers in North-Western Italy. The paper provides: (i) a semantic map built on keywords adopted by the respondents to describe local production; (ii) a categorization of food consumers divided in clusters on the basis of their eating styles; and (iii) a characterization of consumers clusters according to the preferences and knowledge expressed towards local production. The results show that consumers’ awareness and attitudes towards the concept of the “local” are influenced by the joint effect of their socio-demographic profile and their food consumption style, with some unexpected evidences that would deserve to be deepen with further research. However, given this uncertainty, three main traits seem to characterize the consumers attitude towards the “local”: a positive relation among the dimensions of environment, local development and product quality and the strength of the link between local production and the reduction of the length of the supply chain. Ultimately, territoriality is perceived as an index of higher product quality (seasonal, therefore fresh and genuine).

Keywords: local production; consumer perception; food chain; clustering; sustainability; eating styles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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