How should beef be produced? Consumer expectations and views on local beef production in South Tyrol (Italy)

Abstract

PurposeLocal origin of meat acts as a key quality indicator for consumers. How an ideal local meat production should look like is rather unknown. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyse how an ideal local beef production should be constituted.Design/methodology/approach432 consumers from a North Italian province (South Tyrol) were questioned online about their views regarding (local) beef production. 12 attributes, from calf rearing to transport times, were presented with different options. Participants selected the most ideal options from their perspective. Further, willingness to pay for local beef and for the ideally produced local beef as well as the importance of local production for different food categories were assessed.FindingsThe results are quite heterogeneous but show that local production is especially of importance for eggs, dairy products and beef. Traceability to the farms, daily access to a paddock and access to pasture during summer, silage-free feeding, low transport times and suckler cow husbandry are aspects that are mostly selected as ideal. A price premium of 35% for locally produced beef and up to 50% for this ideal production seems reasonable for most consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study only includes South Tyrolean consumers and thus the validity is limited to this area. Although transferability to other regions can be assumed, future studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.Originality/valueThis is the first study analysing consumers expectations towards local beef production considering several production levels.