Preliminary investigations indicate that the lack of growth in Indonesian goat consumption is linked to negative perceptions of goat meat

The present paper discusses goat consumption by consumers in Makassar, Indonesia, on the basis of interviews with households from April to May 2009, using a survey that included questions on criteria for purchasing meat, attitudes to goat meat, goat and goat-meat purchases and consumption, and demographics of the respondents. Consumers rarely bought goat or goat meat for family, visitors or gifts and most commonly bought it for religious and birth ceremonies. Cluster analysis identified four consumer segments that were not significantly correlated with demographic variables but were with purchasing patterns and the likelihood of increasing consumption. The evidence supports the hypothesis that goat meat is consumed mainly for cultural ceremonies and that the reason for the lack of growth in consumption of goat meat is negative perceptions of many consumers about its effects on their health.