Improves consumer willingness to purchase locally sourced foods

The study of food consumption and origin in Mallorca 2023, commissioned by the General Directorate of Food Sovereignty (now Agri-Food Quality and Local Product) with the main objective of knowing the post-pandemic attitude of the island’s consumers with relation to the origin of the foods they buy, as well as knowing the degree of consumption of the different food categories and the origin of the foods that are consumed, and seeing the evolution of consumer perception in comparison with the study carried out in 2018 shows that, compared to 2018 data, the evolution of the influence of origin on the purchasing decision of Mallorca consumers is evolving very positively, since, in all food categories, more than half of those surveyed say they consume products of local origin. Data that, in the words of the general director of Agri-Food Quality and Local Product, Joan Llabrés, shows that “consumers increasingly value and demand local products.”

The field work was carried out in Mallorca and 1,019 people residing in Mallorca were interviewed – 79.98% women and 20.02% men – who bought food, twice as many respondents as in 2018.

The data from the study reflect that, in the evolution of the shopping basket from 2018 to 2023, there are no major variations in the relationship to the purchase of foods of plant origin. However, in relation to foods of animal origin, the consumption of meat (from 97% to 94%), fish (from 95% to 93%), eggs (from 99% to 93%) and milk (from 96%) decreases. % to 91%), which can be attributed to an increase in the price of these products, significantly higher than the increase suffered by the rest of the food products. An increase in cheese consumption is also observed (from 90% to 95%); The purchase of olive oil also decreases very significantly (from 99% to 83%), which is related to the increase in prices. In relation to wine, it should be said that 55% buy it, a figure that does not change.

In relation to the evolution of the influence of origin on the purchasing decision (2018-2023), except in relation to salt and wine, buyers have evolved in favor of purchasing foods originating from the Balearic Islands, especially in the case of meat (from 42% to 66%), cheese (from 63% to 85%), fish (from 41% to 70%), milk (from 34% to 50%) and olive oil (from 55% to 69%). “We have also seen an improvement in the predisposition of the people of Mallorca to purchase food from the Balearic Islands, but this predisposition does not always materialize in the actual purchase, since what consumers express does not correspond to the marketing data” , emphasizes the general director Joan Llabrés. In this sense, from Calidad Agri-Food and Local Product “we are working with the sector to improve the indication of origin of the Balearic Islands on our products, avoid consumer confusion, in addition to intense promotion of our local product, so that the purchase intention expressed by the consumer becomes more effective.