Profile of honey consumers in public markets of Porto Seguro, Bahia State, Brazil
Keywords:
Beekeeping, Consumer behavior, Bee productsAbstract
Honey is an economically important bee product in Brazil and several other countries. Therefore, knowing the profile of honey consumers is essential to increase honey consumption and, consequently, to enhance the apicultural market. In this work we characterize the profile of honey consumers in Porto Seguro, Bahia State, from 227 interviews carried out in three local public markets. A total of 31.3% of respondents reported not consuming honey because they do not like it or due to health reasons; 68.7% declared they consume honey due to its flavor or medicinal and healthy properties. Most people purchase 1-3 liters of honey/year (29.4%) and consume it in natura (64.7%). Color, appearance and flavor influence the purchasing decision. The respondents prefer to purchase honey from apiculturists (33.3%) or in public markets (30.13%). They agree that honey tastes good (98%) and it is healthy (94.2%). However, 44.8% disagree that honey is expensive, and 50% disagree that honeys from supermarkets are the most reliable. We conclude that promotional strategies aimed at the regional increase in the sale of honey should value the product as a healthy item and of local/regional production.
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