Traditional and regional food as seen by consumers – research results: the case of Poland

Abstract

Purpose This paper seeks to describe the perceptions and motives for acquiring traditional and regional products by Polish consumers. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the state of regional and traditional food production in Poland and identify the prospects of its development. Design/methodology/approach Both secondary and primary data were used. The sample size included 1,067 respondents selected based on their place of residence and sex. The five-point Likert scale was used to measure the participant attitudes following the construction and validation procedure. Cronbach’s α test was used to evaluate the reliability of the measuring scale, estimated at 0.85, indicating the accuracy of the scales used. Statistica 13 – including t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis – was a software program used to carry out statistical analysis. Prior to the analysis, multivariate normality was examined by testing each variable for normal distribution. Findings The research showed the existence of a statistical relationship between the sex of respondents and the suggested traditional food consumption patterns such as organoleptic qualities, high quality, and finally, curiosity and trying new foods. Sex did not statistically influence the responses for the remaining factors. Originality/value The increased interest in traditional and regional food products is a manifestation of new food-related tendencies and is implied by the desire to exhibit behaviors and values resulting from cultural heritage. Polish consumers are becoming wealthier, better educated, more aware of both tangible and intangible product attributes, and they are having more opportunities to expose their social preferences when shopping. The importance of food attributes such as traditional and regional food certificates, source of origin or the image of the producer (e.g. respecting ethical behavior) is growing. This research is significant not only because of its theoretical input, but its applied value as well.