Date of Award:

8-2013

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Applied Economics

Committee Chair(s)

Kynda R. Curtis

Committee

Kynda R. Curtis

Committee

Ryan Bosworth

Committee

Ruby Ward

Committee

Man-Keun Kim

Committee

Jennifer Reeve

Abstract

The purpose of this public abstract is to present research objectives, societal benefits, and costs associated with this dissertation. This dissertation is one the outcomes of a three-year $155,450.86 project whose number is UTA01008. Kynda Curtis, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Economics proposed the project to assess consumer demand and purchase motivations for differentiated produce across direct marketing outlets. In general, this dissertation seeks to analyze consumer primary motivations for attending farmers’ markets, their preferences, and their willingness to pay for differentiated fresh produce. To accomplish this task, we develop three essays.

Specific objectives for the first essay are to describe consumer characteristics that explain reasons for attending farmers’ markets, determine the probabilities to attend for each of four primary motives, and describe clusters among fresh produce purchasers with similar traits. Specific objectives for the second essay are to describe levels of importance consumers assign to product features when purchasing fresh produce, estimate the likelihood of purchasing fresh produce on the basis of a given product feature, and discuss consumer types that significantly explain such probabilities. Specific objectives for the last essay are to estimate relative likelihood of purchasing a product with labels showing either conventionally grown local or organically grown of unknown origin over conventionally grown of unknown origin, compute consumer willingness to pay for differentiated fresh produce, make a comparison analysis before and after information about location and production practices, and form stated demand functions for fresh produce and quantify price elasticities. The analyses are performed on green peppers, cucumbers, and yellow squash as examples of fresh produce.

This dissertation has several societal benefits. Precisely, local farmers and vendors at farmers’ markets will use results to revise their production practices and their marketing strategies to meet consumers’ preferences and eventually attract more individuals to such markets. In addition, this dissertation will be useful for farmers’ markets managers in recruiting vendors, attracting more attendees, and improving markets features. Furthermore, policy makers will use results from this dissertation to provide assistance to farmers to feature their products according to consumers’ preferences. Those in the health sector will use the results to implement programs like WIC and Senior Farmers’ Markets Nutrition Programs. Increased consumption of fresh produce is expected as a result of this dissertation. Local and organic certification regulations and food safety standards will be reinforced.

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