José Enrique Sanz, director of the PGI’s regulatory council, said research shows consumers prioritise origin and quality
Spanish consumers actively search out domestically grown fruits and vegetables, with just under one-third valuing products that are local or Km0, according to research presented at this week’s Aecoc congress in Valencia.
During the congress, Marta Munné, head of Aecoc’s Shopperview study, revealed that 72 per cent of consumers take the origin of a product into consideration when choosing what to buy. Furthermore, 43 per cent of those surveyed said they check if the product is produced in Spain, while 32 per cent consider it important that it be a local or zero-kilometre product.
The data also shows that 63 per cent of consumers surveyed would be willing to pay more for locally produced fruits and vegetables from small farmers in the area. “All of this highlights that knowing the origin is the most important driver of purchasing decisions, above other factors such as sustainability, convenience, or price,” the PGI said.
José Enrique Sanz, managing director of the Valencian Citrus PGI, said the results highlight the importance origin when making purchasing decisions. “Generally speaking, it seems clear that consumers prioritise origin and quality when it comes to fruits and vegetables,” he said.
Highlighting the quality of Valencian citrus, Sanza noted that it offered “more flavour, better ripeness, and a more intense colour, thanks to the climate we enjoy in the Valencian Community throughout the year”.
Sanz – together with several other speakers at the congress – also emphasised the need to continue investing in generic promotional campaigns to help boost consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables, “especially at a time when more and more fruit from other regions is entering the market”.
During the event, the Valencian Citrus PGI sponsored a presentation by digital marketing expert Giuseppe Stigliano, in which he reviewed the five key areas where AI will play a decisive role in the fruit and vegetable value chain: visibility at decision points, enhanced price and margin management, waste reduction, strengthening the value of origin, and improved collaboration and negotiation throughout the chain.
Stigliano concluded by saying that “the best way to differentiate a product is through its origin,” pointing out that “AI activates the value of origin for the entire chain, transforming that origin into a measurable value”.
