Consumers perception of traditional sustainable food: an exploratory study on pasta made from native ancient durum wheat varieties

Abstract

The importance of the production and sale of traditional food resides in its contribution to diversification of rural areas and to the prevention of their depopulation. Traditional food products (TFP) are an important element of the European cultural heritage and a decisive economic input to many regions (European Commission, 2007). Traditional and ancient native crop and varieties, abandoned over decades and recently recovered by farmers can be considered a special category of local and traditional foods whose importance is enhanced by social, economic and environmental meanings affecting both demand and supply in the food market. Native low-yields crops such as some durum wheat varieties cultivated traditional areas (i.e. Senatore Cappelli among others), were recently reintroduced and improved by farmers and breeders for their high-quality, pest resistance and their importance in the biodiversity conservation. As consequence of food scandals, globalization process and homogenization of products, consumers became more and more demanding for food quality, inducing the research, firms and government effort to understand and characterize and define consumer’s concepts related to quality of food products. Specifically, European consumers demand for safe and tasteful traditional food products (Cayot, 2007), but also for higher quality, convenient, nutritive and healthier options that fit better with the present needs in modern societies (Guerrero et al., 2010). Among the changes and trends affecting food demand and consumer habits, the re-orientation towards traditional food plays a crucial role in sustaining sustainable agriculture. As stated in other studies, in order to better understand and predict the likelihood of success or failure of traditional foods it is crucial to know the meaning that the word ‘‘Traditional” has in consumers’ beliefs. From the expert’s perspective there are some definitions of traditional food (Bertozzi, 1998; EU, 2006; EuroFIR, 2007; Jordana, 2000; Ministero Agricoltura, 1999; Trichopoulou, Soukara, & Vasilopoulou, 2007; Truefood, 2006), but only Guerrero et al. (2009) published a definition of TFP from the consumers’ point of view: “a product frequently consumed or associated with specific celebrations and/or seasons, normally transmitted from one generation to