DE-PLACING LOCAL AT THE FARMERS' MARKET: CONSUMER CONCEPTIONS OF LOCAL FOODS

Demand for local foods is typically explained using traditional product attributes like price, freshness, and taste. However, these factors fail to address more socially-based motivations or barriers to purchases. We administered a survey at two farmers’ markets (FMs) in Florida. The survey included: (1) respondents’ local produce purchases; (2) perceived cost and difficulty in accessing those products; (3) a Likert scale that measured attitudes toward local food; (4) a willingness to pay measure; (5) a definition of local by distance and ownership; and (6) frequency of produce purchases from traditional and alternative venues. A two-stage cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups of FM shoppers, and highlighted important characteristics that influence demand for local foods. These purchases are driven more by accessibility and attitudes than by traditional demand factors such as cost and willingness to pay. The results provide insight for future research on local foods, and help illustrate the complex forces driving local food purchases. Extant research has identified the importance of understanding consumer behavior and preferences for alternative foods. Analysts have paid particular attention to consumers’ willingness to pay for, and perceptions of, organic foods as an alternative to conventionally-grown produce and processed items. Economic studies have confirmed that organic food consumers are motivated by concerns for the environment, health and safety, and traditional product attributes such as price, taste, appearance, and freshness (Adams and Salois 2010). However, comparatively less research has examined consumers’ attitudes, experiences, and impressions of local foods as empirically separate from organic. As organic foods are increasingly becoming associated with large, corporate agribusinesses (Sligh and Christman 2003), many consumers interested in supporting small, family-owned farms are turning to localized food sources such as farmers’ markets, cooperatives, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs as a source of fresh produce. To gain a better understanding of this growing consumer base in the United States, it is crucial that we examine the complex forces driving local food purchases. We already know that consumers are willing to pay higher prices for local foods (Darby et al. 2008), and that many people would prefer buying local versus non-local