Traditional Varieties for Local Markets: A Sustainable Proposal for Agricultural SMEs

Abstract

Agricultural activity has changed significantly in recent years. There is a clear trend towards monoculture and the replacement of traditional crops for others which are more productive and achieve better economic results. These factors have two fundamental consequences: on the one hand, the abandonment of agricultural activity, with the subsequent loss of rurality; on the other hand, a negative effect on the maintenance of biodiversity, because traditional varieties disappear. In this context, this paper analyses the situation of consumers and farmers of a traditional crop in the southeast of Spain: the tomato. In order to understand the current situation and the forecasted future, a choice experiment was conducted on 217 tomato consumers. Furthermore, 40 tomato farmers of this area underwent an in-depth interview. On the one hand, analysis of the consumer study established a potential segment of the population that prefers traditional varieties due to their high organoleptic properties. Meanwhile, the farmer study revealed a segment of this population that is willing to produce these types of crops. Therefore, the possibility that a certain sector of producers cultivates traditional varieties is suggested, and for these varieties to be aimed at a market niche that values them positively, making the activity of Small and Medium Enterprises (agricultural SMEs) profitable. This would improve the sustainability of the rural territory and would strengthen the preservation of genetic heritage.

Influencing Factors of a Sustainable Vegetable Choice. The Romanian Consumers’ Case

“…Other studies debate that vegetables with genetic origins in specific regions, as is the purple carrot in Spain, are more environmentally sustainable for cultivation in those regions, and by choosing them, the people inhabiting the same regions are healthier [94]. Yet, as Perez-Caselles et al [28] claim, these traditional crops are less economically productive, therefore undesirable for large farms, but suitable for small farms that address the needs of niche consumers. Yet, some authors consider that there is much more pressure on farmers to pursue sustainable agriculture than it is on consumers to choose sustainably produced vegetables [95].…”

“…The common recommendation for the European area includes aspects that transcend the health rationale. The "fresh" and "local" adjectives describing the fruits and vegetables are sustainability aspects [22,28,82,91] elegantly inserted in the European consumers' vocabulary.…”

“…Considering the previous studies on the topic of sustainable diets, their definition includes references to nutritional aspects [3,11,25], social aspects [26,27], economic aspects [28,29] and not last, environmental aspects, such as: type of production, inputs, water usage, provenance, and even transportation and storage of the products [29,30]. Yet, providing a clear definition for a sustainable diet is still not possible [31], since the four aspects are not self-defined, but they are interrelated [32,33].…”

“…Some authors debate that Japanese consumers are more interested in the sustainable aspects of vegetables (organically grown, the origin of cultivation) when they are out of season, rather than when in-season [92]. Additionally, some authors imply that high incomes are needed to pursue a healthier consumption pattern [28,39]. Considering this, the second and third hypotheses are:…”

How Does Consumers’ Care for Origin Shape Their Behavioural Gap for Environmentally Friendly Products?

“…Our analysis tries to investigate these two objectives within the same methodological framework. If, on one side, we explore the existence of a behavioural gap for Italian consumers with regards to a not yet existing environmentally sustainable tomato, we also examine to what extent the magnitude of their behavioural gap and spending propensity is affected by Italians' care for tomato origin, which emerges in the literature on consumer behaviour towards tomato [9][10][11] as a very relevant consumption driver. No study, to the best of our knowledge, investigates product origin as a factor influencing the consumer behavioural gap.…”