TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of the consumer’s perception of urban food products from a soilless system in rooftop greenhouses: a case study from the Mediterranean area of Barcelona (Spain)
AU - Ercilla-Montserrat, Mireia
AU - Sanjuan-Delmás, David
AU - Sanyé-Mengual, Esther
AU - Calvet-Mir, Laura
AU - Banderas, Karla
AU - Rieradevall, Joan
AU - Gabarrell, Xavier
PY - 2019/9/1
Y1 - 2019/9/1
N2 - © 2019, Springer Nature B.V. Soilless crops are commonly used in rooftop agriculture (RA) because they easily adapt to building constraints. However, acceptance of the produce derived from this system may be controversial. This paper evaluates consumers’ acceptance of food from RA in Mediterranean cities, focusing on the quality of the product, production system, and consumers’ motivations. We surveyed 238 respondents on the UAB university campus as potential consumers. The survey was distributed via an Internet-link that was provided along with a sample of tomatoes from RA. The results showed that most people approved the quality of RA products and perceived them to be local and fresh (94%). The respondents exhibited acceptance of soilless-produced tomatoes and considered them to be environmentally better than conventionally produced ones (69%). Cluster analysis revealed that consumers with high income levels and a university education had a better perception of the quality and proposed a higher price for RA products, but no difference was found regarding their environmental perception of this products. Moreover, people who possessed more information about the product also had a higher perception of the quality and production system (it was perceived to be environmentally friendly) and would pay more for them. The main concerns of consumers were related to food safety and the social impact of RA. Additional research is needed to improve the sustainability of RA, and the applied measures should be communicated to potential consumers to enhance their acceptance and success.
AB - © 2019, Springer Nature B.V. Soilless crops are commonly used in rooftop agriculture (RA) because they easily adapt to building constraints. However, acceptance of the produce derived from this system may be controversial. This paper evaluates consumers’ acceptance of food from RA in Mediterranean cities, focusing on the quality of the product, production system, and consumers’ motivations. We surveyed 238 respondents on the UAB university campus as potential consumers. The survey was distributed via an Internet-link that was provided along with a sample of tomatoes from RA. The results showed that most people approved the quality of RA products and perceived them to be local and fresh (94%). The respondents exhibited acceptance of soilless-produced tomatoes and considered them to be environmentally better than conventionally produced ones (69%). Cluster analysis revealed that consumers with high income levels and a university education had a better perception of the quality and proposed a higher price for RA products, but no difference was found regarding their environmental perception of this products. Moreover, people who possessed more information about the product also had a higher perception of the quality and production system (it was perceived to be environmentally friendly) and would pay more for them. The main concerns of consumers were related to food safety and the social impact of RA. Additional research is needed to improve the sustainability of RA, and the applied measures should be communicated to potential consumers to enhance their acceptance and success.
KW - AGRICULTURE
KW - ATTRIBUTES
KW - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
KW - Food self-supply
KW - HEAVY-METALS
KW - IMPLEMENTATION
KW - INNOVATION
KW - LOCAL FOOD
KW - Local consumption
KW - Local food production
KW - QUALITY
KW - Rooftop agriculture
KW - SOILS
KW - SUSTAINABILITY
KW - Urban agriculture
UR - https://ddd.uab.cat/record/206189
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/analysis-consumers-perception-urban-food-products-soilless-system-rooftop-greenhouses-case-study-med
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09920-7
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09920-7
M3 - Article
VL - 36
SP - 375
EP - 393
JO - Agriculture and Human Values
JF - Agriculture and Human Values
SN - 0889-048X
IS - 3
ER -