Understanding consumption frequency across consumer segments and regions in the Brazilian aquaculture market

Abstract

Several socio-demographic factors influence fish consumption frequency and preferences in the Brazilian aquaculture market. Hence, the aims of this paper were (i) to acquire information on fish consumption frequency; (ii) to examine the associations between specific socio-demographic characteristics of aquaculture consumers; (iii) to investigate the consumption frequency of these specific characteristics relating to certain barriers and drivers of consumption frequency; and (iv) to explore whether consumption behavior varies across different groups of consumers and regions. The study involved an online survey of 1509 consumers across the five regions in Brazil. The results of this study indicated that the general fish consumption frequency pattern is highly seasonal. In addition, we determined that significant differences in fish consumption frequency, determinants, and habits were found among income levels, age groups and regions. Our results show that low-income consumers are highly disadvantaged and more likely to consume fish less frequently than the other income groups. We further recommend several marketing strategies and initiatives to stimulate the consumption frequency of fish amongst Brazilian consumers.