Southern Buyers' Preferences for Fresh Produce: Focus on Organic

As a result of consecutive increases in demand for local produce realized since 2020, farmers have been investing more time and effort in retaining their buyers and eventually building loyalty. Our study seeks to understand consumers’ perceptions, understanding, and interpretation of information conveyed in several co-labeling strategies when purchasing fruits and vegetables. Our analysis particularly focuses on local farms’ direct marketing clientele. We conducted an online survey of 1,820 buyers in six Southern States. Focusing on the organic certification, we highlight socio-demographic profiles based on frequency of purchase. Our results also underscore a positive interaction effect when the organic label is associated with an indication of origin.