Abstract
Consumer preferences about locally grown foods have been studied principally as they concern meals consumed in the home, while knowledge about consumptions outside the home is still fragmented. Studying the relationship between local foods and out of the home consumptions instead proves particularly interesting, considering the growth of eating out habits. In this scenario, our paper intends to verify whether using products of local origin in restaurants can represent an element capable of influencing consumer preferences positively. The analysis was developed by means of a choice experiment between alternatives that differ in certification of origin, process certification, price and the main characteristics of the restaurant. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of Italian (500) and German (500) consumers. Applying Latent Class Modelling has enabled us to segment the market and profile the segments. Profiling was performed considering the socio-demographic characteristics, the choice motivations not expressly inserted in the choice experiment and the Schwartz value system. The results show not only a marked heterogeneity of preferences but also a consistent consumer segment willing to pay a relevant premium price for meals made from a prevalence of products certified as being of local origin. This segment, labelled ‘locavores’, appears across both countries, despite differing gastronomic traditions. Locavores are mainly young people who prioritise self-enhancement, stimulation and conservation in the sense of respect for traditions and being members of their communities. The ‘Discussions and conclusions’ section handles the principal implications from the viewpoint of the decisions of restaurant owners, as well as from that of farmers.
Highlights
As of late, we have been witnessing a return to the use of local foods in consumption habits, as a consequence of an evolution of the food and cultural system (Bean and Sharp 2011; Rausser et al 2015)
The results show a marked heterogeneity of preferences and a consistent consumer segment willing to pay a relevant premium price for meals made from a prevalence of products certified as being of local origin
Choice experiment: latent class model Consumer preferences were analysed by means of discrete choice models (McFadden 1974; Louviere and Woodworth 1983) and, in particular, by using a latent class (LC) model
Summary
We have been witnessing a return to the use of local foods in consumption habits, as a consequence of an evolution of the food and cultural system (Bean and Sharp 2011; Rausser et al 2015). Previous results show that the value of these foods can be associated with taste and freshness (Keeling-Bond et al 2009; Gracia et al 2012; Menapace and Raffaelli 2013) and with safety, nutritional aspects, environmental sustainability (Weber and Matthews 2008, Erraach et al 2014; Goetzke et al 2014), support to communities and social responsibility (Darby et al 2008; Martinez 2010; Frash et al 2015) Apart from these cases, only a few studies have analysed consumer choices of food produced using local ingredients for away-from-home meals (Frash et al 2015; Vieregge et al 2007), and to date, there have been few studies on consumer preferences with respect to local foods appearing on restaurant menus (Alfnes and Sharma 2010; Schubert et al 2010; Alonso et al 2013; Campbell and DiPietro 2014; Lillywhite and Simonsen 2014)
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