Il valore aggiunto dell'attributo "biologico". Il caso dei salumi

Convenience foods, such as cured meats, have been always appreciated, because of their price, ease of use and taste, of course. The Italian swine sector is characterized by a substantial stability, in the last year enhanced by new forms of product differentiation such as certifications of quality. We study the consumer preferences with respect to cured meats from organic farming by means of choice-experiment (CE) and conditional logit (CL). In order to estimate consumer attitudes towards organic cured meats we estimate the weight of externalities they produce presenting them as intrinsic attributes of the product. Final aim is therefore to elicit the role of greater health, protection of biodiversity and reduction of pollution on the choices of organic versus conventional cured meats. Given the characteristics of CE are therefore estimated the trade-offs of these attributes and their value in terms of consumer willingness to pay (WTP). Results indicate that consumers are well-disposed to organic cured meats, they perceive the general need to support livestock productions which respect the environment and the animal welfare.