The Era of the Functional Consumer

ABSTRACT

A discrete choice experiment was conducted to analyze consumer preferences for fruit and vegetable attributes in the context of the 2010 MyPlate Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations and to consider the role of health benefits and potential tradeoffs among fruit and vegetable quantity and quality attributes. Higher willingness to pay for fruit and vegetable attributes by the medium-high income respondents compared to low-income respondents may reflect the reality of a greater ability to pay. The magnitude of WTP toward satisfying MyPlate recommendations is substantially below the cost; therefore, it is not surprising that current consumption levels are well below the recommendation. Organic products had a stigmatizing effect for low-income respondents.

KEYWORDS:

• Choice experiment
• dietary guidelines
• health benefits
• lognormal price
• MyPlate
• willingness to pay

Notes

¹ Respondents were also segmented into three income groups: low income (less than $30,000), medium income ($30,000–$100,000), and high income (more than $100,000). There were only small differences in mean WTP estimates between the medium and high income segments. Hence medium and high income segments were combined. The resulting two income categories, although not a perfect measure, characterize eligible and noneligible participants of food assistance programs. Food assistance program eligibility depends on income and number of people in the household.