Survey on consumption habits and consumer preferences regarding olive oil in Rio Grande do Sul

• Autor(a) principal: Ambrosini, Larissa Bueno
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Specht, Suzimary, Blume, Roni, João, Paulo Lipp
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Pesquisa Agropecuária Gaúcha (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://revistapag.agricultura.rs.gov.br/ojs/index.php/revistapag/article/view/76
• topic: Olive oil; Consumer; Perceptions; South Brazil; Azeite de oliva; Consumidor; Percepções; Rio Grande do Sul

In the last 30 years the Brazilian import of olive oil grew by 440%, which reflects the increase in consumption. Data on the perception and habits of consumption in relation to olive oil among Brazilian consumers, however, are still restricted. Research shows that erroneous choice criteria and myths still guide the purchase and consumption of olive oil in emerging markets, such as Brazil. The objective of this study is to verify consumption habits, selection criteria and preference of consumers in relation to olive oil. The methodology used was an online survey. The sample consisted of 291 consumers, who presented a family income and schooling higher than the Brazilian average, with 55% reporting daily olive oil consumption. The main results point out that price, origin, degree of acidity and brand are the most important criteria when choosing olive oil; the preferred origins are Portugal and Brazil; most would consume more olive oil if the product were cheaper and if they cooked more at home; only 5% stated they had good knowledge about how to use the product; and the main motivations for consumption are related to health and taste. The contribution of our study is to generate information about consumers that can be used by the agents of the production and marketing chain in educational and promotional actions, thus helping in the development of olive growing in South Brazil.