Beef Consumers Behaviour and Preferences—The Case of Portugal

Abstract

Meat consumption is estimated to increase worldwide, mostly because of the increase in population. Further, this increase in meat consumption will ultimately affect the environment and aggravate climate change. Herein, consumers’ behaviour was studied to understand if consumers would consider a change in their dietary habits by choosing beef from the Portuguese autochthonous bovine breed or even reducing their meat intake for environmental reasons. In 2021, a survey was conducted online and in some food sales outlets in Portugal. Therefore, data collected from the 491 participants were analysed with the aim of assessing the Portuguese consumer behaviour and preferences on beef. Firstly, we conducted a descriptive analysis. Then, factor analysis was performed by principal component analysis. Finally, by cluster analysis, we attempted to identify a group of consumers with different behaviours into specific categories. Although it was not possible to segregate consumers into different categories, most of the respondents agree that meat consumption harms the environment; however, just 30.6% are willing to reduce meat consumption due to environmental reasons. As for the concerns for animal welfare, respondents between the age of 23 and 49 years seem to have a greater concern towards animal welfare. To value autochthonous bovine Jarmelista meat, it is fundamental to implement a concerted communication between suppliers and producers to value Jarmelista beef. Furthermore, it is also important that regional governmental institutions support local producers not only for financial support but also to create strategies to protect the breed from extinction.

Understanding the motives behind the consumption of organic products in North Portugal: a focus group study

“…Concerning Portugal, research on this topic is still scarce, especially in the North of Portugal. The studies conducted until the moment in North Portugal are focused on behavior toward (1) organic meat consumption generally in Portugal, although they also included some participants from other countries (Paiva et al, 2022), (2) the influence of income and education on the consumption of organic food in Portugal and Spain (Flores et al, 2020), and (3) the interest toward organic food but exclusively in Lisbon (Ventura-Lucas and Marreiros, 2013). In fact, there is a gap in the literature exploring consumption behavior in North of Portugal.…”

Meat Value Chain Contribution to Territory Sustainability—The Case of Autochthonous Bovine Jarmelista’s Breed

“…This study also highlights the role of small farms in local food systems and the opportunities that these food systems provide to farms, for example, through short food supply chains. Jarmelista meat production farmers want to add value to the breed and derive meat products from encompassing the conservation of low-income local breeds that is widely recognised by the scientific community, public administration, farmers and the general public as a solid contribution to the development of sustainable agriculture, and the economy of its populations [17]. Simultaneously, maintaining the cultural heritage or identity and regulating services, such as landscape and biodiversity management, will enhance the value of the products connected to this region [15].…”

“…Simultaneously, maintaining the cultural heritage or identity and regulating services, such as landscape and biodiversity management, will enhance the value of the products connected to this region [15]. However, it is necessary that consumers recognise the value of these meat products and has to be justified by their quality, differentiation assets and territory [15,17]. Therefore, the economic value chain of this meat product must enhance its value and differentiation and, therefore, be analysed, particularly since to the best of our knowledge this is the first research studying the Jarmelista value chain.…”

The Effect of Weaning and Slaughter Age on the Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Arouquesa Beef—A PDO Portuguese Meat

“…That perception was aggravated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer report that considered red meat a probable cause of colon cancer [ 2 , 3 ]. Additionally, a particular segment of consumers, particularly those from urban contexts with purchasing power, are concerned with the environmental impact of bovine production [ 4 , 5 ]. Consumers with a higher literacy understand that beef obtained from extensive production and the animals’ consumption of local feed has a lower environmental impact [ 6 ].…”

“…Meat quality is a complex concept and can be defined as the characteristics of meat that satisfy consumers. The quality concept can be divided into intrinsic quality traits, such as shape, colour, tenderness, juiciness, flavour, and nutritional properties, and extrinsic quality traits, such as price, brand, or quality label [ 5 ].…”