Abstract

VALERO-PADILLA, Jessica; MARQUEZ-ROSANO, Conrado  and  ESPEJEL-GARCIA, Anastacio. Purchase meanings and willingness to pay for corn tortillas in Nuevo Leon. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2024, vol.15, n.2, e3241.  Epub June 21, 2024. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v15i2.3241.

In Mexico, there are few studies on consumer analysis and willingness to pay (WTP) a premium for traditional foods such as tortillas made by hand from local corn. This work aimed to identify the meanings and values associated with the consumption of tortillas and the WTP a premium for specific attributes, in a sample of local consumers. The study was conducted in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in 2021. A survey was designed using Google Forms and applied to 300 consumers, who selected their preferences, the importance of tangible and intangible attributes, the reasons for their willingness to pay, and the WTP in percentages by type of tortillas. Two images and the phrase ‘tortillas from local corn from ejidos in the south of Nuevo León’ were shown; they were asked to write three words for each stimulus shown. The words were grouped into categories and related to a motivational value and product meaning. A k-proportions test and the Marascuilo procedure were applied to the frequencies. The highest percentages were obtained for the symbolic meaning and the values of tradition and stimulation in the image of the artisanal tortilla compared to the conventional one. The phrase evoked values of universalism and tradition. The variables that influenced the WTP were: promoting diversity (the blue tortilla), being artisanal (all except the yellow tortilla), and being a local product (the yellow tortilla). Using a base price of $21.00 per kilogram, the WTP was $25.00 for tortillas with chili and nopal, unlike the blue and yellow tortillas, which showed an 8.3% premium price.

Keywords : consumers; human values; traditional food.