Attributes that Influence Consumers' Preferences for Choosing Locally Grown Food Sources During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify attributes that influenced consumers' preferences when selecting locally grown food across different sources during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for locally grown food sources. Results showed that respondents valued Freshness, Accessibility, Variety, and Risk Shift attributes, respectively. In addition, community-supported agriculture (CSAs) have the lowest WTP among other sources, and respondents valued CSAs' general weaknesses more than their advantages when choosing where to purchase locally grown food. However, we found that increasing community outreach levels positively affects choice probabilities for CSAs over other sources.