VIZCARRA BORDI, IVONVE y THOME-ORTIZ, HUMBERTO (2017). The consumer of food products in organic markets of central Mexico.British Food Journal, 119 (3) 558-574. The consumer of food products in organic markets of central Mexico Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of consumers of organic food, based on their motivations. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire based on the Food Choice Questionnaire was applied to a 656 consumers. A multivariate factor analysis and cluster analysis was performed to the data. Findings -Seven factors were identified: ecological concern; nutritional content; availability of natural products; sensory aspects; certifications, health and confidence; and economic aspects. Resulting clusters were named as: conscious and interested in certification; conscious with no interest in certification; opportunist in transition; unconscious opportunist. There are signs of different consumers. The consumers of these products are characterised by an interaction between hedonic and ethical motivations, where the most important motivation is environmental concern and the least important are the economic aspects.Research limitations/implications -The reduced number of alternative markets in Mexico limits the amplitude of the research. Practical implications -The work herein reported is pioneer and contributes to reduce the lack of studies on the motivations and characteristics of consumers of organic foods in Mexico. Findings may set a path for new research in other cultural contexts; as well as for more specific work in Mexico as of consumers of industrialised organic products. Social implications -Characterising consumers of organic foods will enable the development of these markets. Originality/value -Social studies of eating habits have taken place in European countries; and several works have been developed in other areas of the world to determine the way in which consumers build their preferences and food choice patterns. In Mexico, specifically in organic foods, studies have focussed in agrarian economics, but the analysis of motivations for choice has not been addressed. Therefore, it is important to research this issue given the relevance for consumers.

For AuthorsIf you would like t o writ e f or t his, or any ot her Emerald publicat ion, t hen please use our Emerald f or Aut hors service inf ormat ion about how t o choose which publicat ion t o writ e f or and submission guidelines are available f or all. Please visit www. emeraldinsight . com/ aut hors f or more inf ormat ion. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and pract ice t o t he benef it of societ y. The company manages a port f olio of more t han 290 j ournals and over 2, 350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an ext ensive range of online product s and addit ional cust omer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. *Relat ed cont ent and download inf ormat ion correct at t ime of download. In contemporary Western societies, the distance between the consumers and the preparation of their own food makes the global agri1food industry and its distribution system as a symbol of void (Díaz and Gómez, 2005; Álvarez, 2008), increased suspicion on the manipulation of food by these industries (Aguilar, 2007), andgenerating interest for what they call quality foods; where consumption is not ruled by economic aspects, but by values as health, quality, tradition, culture, the environment and ethics (Espeitx, 1996).This creates an eclectic gastronomic condition that is fragmented, unequal, postmodern, and strongly anomic (Alonso, 2005), which gives way to a new

Small-scale dairy farming has been suggested as a rural development option for Mexican campesino communities. However, there is a lack of information on how dairy farming systems operate. The objective of this paper is to analyse the social, productive and economic characteristics of small-scale dairy production systems in the central highlands in the northwest of the State of Mexico. These three characteristics were analysed on 69 farms using factor and cluster analysis. Five factors accounted for 68% of cumulative variance. Cluster analysis yielded three well-defined groups. A Kruskal-Wallis test was performed on the arable land area and the number of animals, and analysis of variance for milk yield. Economic analysis was undertaken using activity budgets. Results showed the relationships between scale and management methods and their effects on the income for the family. Families in only one of the three groups receive incomes from dairying that were above all Mexican poverty indices. This outcome is explained by the intensification in the management of their herds, which is reflected in higher milk yields, higher incomes and better access to government support schemes. Enhancement of milk production in the area studied needs differential policies which take in to account differences between the groups identified.

In Mexico, small-scale dairy systems (SSDS) represent over 78 % of dairy farms and contribute with 37 % of national milk production; however, they face high feeding costs. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of SSDS during the dry season in terms of milk yields, milk composition and feeding costs under traditional feeding strategies, to identify areas of opportunity for improving their profitability. The information was collected from 22 SSDS every month during dry season. Feeds were classified in quality forages (QF), supplements (SU) and straws (ST). Two factors were identified: factor 1-a positive relationship among QF, SU, milk yield and ration cost and factor 2-represented straw usage. Four feeding strategies were identified: (1) low-cost feeding strategy; (2) home-grown feeding strategy; (3) high-cost feeding strategy; and (4) straw-based feeding strategy. There were differences (P < 0.001) among feeding strategies for QF, SU, ST, total dry matter offered (TDMO), ration cost (RC), external inputs, home-grown inputs and milk yield. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences among feeding strategies for fat and protein contents in milk. It is concluded that to improve performance and profitability and enhance sustainability in SSDS, farmers should base feeding strategies on home-grown quality forages, as it was the case in group 2 which showed lower feeding cost and better milk yield. It is also recommended to increase the inclusion of quality forages like grazing pastures and maize silages during the dry season and to avoid the inclusion of straws.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to characterize consumers of traditional foods, taking as case study fresh cheeses produced in a village, in Central Mexico. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were applied to a sample of 150 consumers, selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. A factorial analysis by principal component analysis was performed to the data, followed by a cluster analysis. Findings – Four factors were obtained, named: artisanship, health and well-being, liking, and satisfaction with the purchase. Three consumer groups were identified: practical, in the process of valorization, and with liking and tradition. The socioeconomic characteristics of consumers do not have a relationship in the classification of groups. It is concluded that the consumption of fresh cheeses is due to a number of social and cultural attributes, and in lesser proportion, to economic aspects. Originality/value – At present, as part of life in a dynamic society, people have the power of choice in the food they consume, a process that involves cultural, social, economic, political, and ideological aspects, established by the consumers themselves, or by a determined social group to which they belong. This has not been researched in Mexico. Being an emerging economy immersed in a rapid process of globalization, studies like this contribute in similar countries of Latin America and other places to find ways to valorize local foods and products that play important roles in the development of rural communities.

Oaxaca cheese is a typical Mexican product of the pasta filata group. In spite of the importance of this cheese, it has been scarcely studied. The objective of this study was to document the method of manufacture and its physicochemical characteristics. There are variations in the process of manufacturing and has been affected by external influences such as time and temperature. There were variations in the physicochemical characteristics as the processes were not standardised, the variations being in protein from 150.3 to 241.5 g/kg; in fat from 170 to 253.3 g/kg; in pH from 4.9 to 5.8; in salt from 8.4 to 36.2 g/kg; in moisture from 124.1 to 610.3 g/kg and in ashes from 18 to 41.8 g/kg.

Demographic changes in contemporary societies has promoted sectors of consumers aware of the food they buy for health reasons, as functional foods, whose demand has grown in diverse countries as Mexico, recognized as one of the emergent market with the highest consumption of these products in Latin America. However, there is little knowledge on the attitudes of Mexican consumers toward functional foods. The objective was to explore the perception of functional foods by Mexican urban consumers using the free word association technique. A total of 610 persons were asked the three first words that came to their minds with the stimulus “functional food.” Twenty‐three categories were grouped in nine dimensions, the most important were: Health, Nutrition, and Foods and Nutrients. Differences due to age and schooling level were found in dimensions and categories. Consumers have a clear idea of “functional food” that explains growth in this market. The promotion of functional foods should take into consideration the demands that specific groups of consumers have for these products. Practical applications This work is a first approach on the study of the perception of Mexican urban consumers toward functional foods, with results that may be useful for public or private entities. As mentioned in works conducted in other areas of the world, demographic and socio‐economic characteristics are identified as significant determinants; the perception toward functional foods is positively associated with educational achievement, age and women. Taking into consideration the diabetes and overweight problems of the Mexican population, research results indicate an opportunity for producers of functional foods for an adequate development, improvement, and promotion of these products to meet specific perceptions of each target group of consumers.

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