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Promotion of sustainably produced foods: Customer response in Minnesota grocery stores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

Ramona Robinson ,
Chery Smith ,
Helene Murray  and
Jim Ennis
Ramona Robinson
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Nutrition 225, 1334 Eckles Avenue, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108
Chery Smith*
Affiliation:
The Department of Food Science and Nutrition 225, 1334 Eckles Avenue, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108
Helene Murray
Affiliation:
Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108
Jim Ennis
Affiliation:
Midwest Food Alliance, 400 Selby Avenue, Suite T, St. Paul, MN, 55102
*
C. Smith (csmith@umn.edu).
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Abstract

This study assesses consumer perceptions of sustainably produced foods and evaluates whether a supermarket point-of-purchase intervention could increase shoppers' awareness of a campaign designed to promote purchases of sustainably produced foods. The in-store intervention involved the promotion of sustainably produced apples labeled with the Midwest Food Alliance's (MWFA) seal of approval. Minnesota consumers were surveyed at two eastern metropolitan area intervention stores and one eastern metropolitan area comparison store. The in-store campaign lasted 8 weeks and involved individually labeled apples, point-of-purchase materials, and weekly food demonstrations. Prior to campaign initiation, baseline surveys were administered to consumers in two test stores and one comparison store. Follow-up surveys were mailed to these same consumers upon conclusion of the campaign intervention. Independent samples t-tests comparing change from baseline to post intervention indicated that a statistically higher percentage of consumers in the test-market group had heard of the Midwest Food Alliance campaign. Furthermore, a statistically higher percentage of the test-market shoppers reported seeing signs and labels promoting the MWFA, indicating that the promotion had some impact. Baseline data gathered from all consumers indicated that foods produced with sustainable practices were important to consumers; however, food characteristics of freshness, taste, safety and healthfulness were most important. The majority of consumers reported that they would be willing to pay 10–30% more for selected sustainably produced foods. Research results indicated that an 8–week in-store intervention was effective at increasing consumer awareness of the MWFA. However, a more powerful intervention (including a longer promotion period with more labeled foods) may be needed to induce shoppers to increase their purchases of sustainably produced foods promoted by the MWFA.

Keywords

alternative agricultureconsumer attitudesconsumer behaviorfood marketinglabeled foodsorganic foodspoint-of-purchase
Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 2002 , pp. 96 - 104
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

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