Organic produce: a study of consumer and specialist distributor preferences

Abstract

Increasing concern about food security and environmental consevation might enhance demand for ecological food products. However, consumption has not kept pace with production. Higher prices than conventional food products, distribution deficiencies and lack of knowledge might explain it. The goal of this paper is to analyse those limitations in depth. To attain this objective, two surveys were addressed to consumers and distributors, in Pamplona. These are the two main actors in the agrofood chain involved in the future development of the organic market. Consumers have been segmented according to lifestyles and distributors according to their performance on business administration, in order to define the most interested groups in organic food. Then, conjoint analysis has been applied to identify the preferences structure of each segment. Finally market shares for organic food have been simulated under different scenarios.