Do consumers intend to purchase the food with Geographical Indication?

Abstract

This research aims to determine the effect of consumers’ perceptions of GI on purchasing intention. Data were obtained from surveys conducted with 384 consumers in Turkey. Structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the data. According to the results, 62.5% of the consumers have information about foods with GI while 58.9% of the consumers consume foods with GI. The SEM results indicated that food with GI perception had a statistically significant and positive effect on the intention to purchase foods with GI. Consumers want to buy geographically marked foods as they are “healthier”, “higher quality”, and “more reliable”. Consumers have positive opinions about foods with GI, and are willing to pay more for them. The fact consumer perceptions do not change is closely related to the performance of products with GI. Monitoring the production processes of GI foods that are more delicious, healthier, reliable, and ensuring the continuity in product quality will increase the demand of consumers for geographically marked foods.