Consumers’ Preferences for Local Fish Products in Catalonia, Calabria and Sicily

Abstract

Research on public markets in small provincial towns is scarce, particularly on the role they play in maintaining a relationship with the local culture, environment and production. This paper examines consumers’ habits and preferences for food shopping in three European regions with respect to the purchase of fish products. The goal is to investigate consumers’ preferences for local fish to highlight the motivations that lead to different choices. A multiple correspondence analysis explores the motivations behind purchasing preferences, showing the complex process that drives individual consumer choices. Based on 504 interviews conducted in cities and areas adjacent to the cities of Girona, Reggio Calabria, and Lipari, we found no evidence of converging habits and homogenization on preferences. It supports the perspective in which the interplay between local culture and consumption of local products is strictly associated.