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. 2022 Dec 8;11(24):3979.
doi: 10.3390/foods11243979.

Socioeconomic Characteristics, Purchasing Preferences and Willingness to Consume Organic Food: A Cross-Location Comparison of Nine Cities in Central Ecuador

Carlos Moreno-Miranda  1   2 , Christian Franco-Crespo  1 , Isabel Pachucho  3 , Karla Uño  3 , Ana Gordillo  3 , Jacqueline Ortiz  1
Affiliations

Socioeconomic Characteristics, Purchasing Preferences and Willingness to Consume Organic Food: A Cross-Location Comparison of Nine Cities in Central Ecuador

Carlos Moreno-Miranda et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Agriculture worldwide faces the need to reduce chemical pesticides and produce healthier food. In Latin America, research on the organic food sector primarily focuses on supply. Consumption analysis is crucial for providing information about customers' needs. This paper aims to analyze the Ecuadorian organic food sector, which is an interesting case for investigating the relationship between willingness to consume organic food and socioeconomic factors. To this end, 382 consumers were surveyed. The study applied a logit regression analysis to assess the role of socioeconomic factors in the willingness to consume organic food. Radar diagrams depict the percentage of respondents who checked a particular reason for choosing or refusing organic food. A cross-location comparison analysis was applied to identify differences between locations within the Central Ecuador region. Results reveal that Ecuadorian consumers' awareness rate of organic food is only 53.5%. Regarding organic food's price, 24% of consumers perceive it to be overly expensive. Based on strengthening the supervision of organic food production, various channels should be used to promote organic food consumption and facilitate the recognition of available organic food.

Keywords: consumer behavior; healthier diet; household income; logit model; survey research.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of the study area in Ecuador. Source: Authors’ representation based on [7].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of the price per kilogram of organic products by seller type. Source: Workshop with sector stakeholders.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Motives why consumers choose to consume organic food % of respondents per city. Source: Authors’ own representation. Note: p-value of sample mean < 0.01.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Motives why consumers refuse to consume organic food % of respondents per city. Source: Authors’ own representation. Note: p-value of sample mean < 0.01.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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