Consumer attitudes and perceptions towards sustainable animal production attributes in Mexico City

Abstract

Animal production systems in pursuit of sustainability production, have to integrate several elements such as: environmental protection, food safety, animal welfare, and benefits to local producers. The objectives of the study were: 1) identify the atti­tudes of consumers in three districts of Mexico City towards sustainable attributes; 2) identify their perceptions regarding the production of animal food products; 3) determine if there is an effect of the social-demographic variables. In this sense, one thousand two hundred consumers were surveyed in markets of three districts of Mexico City with different social-economic levels. Results show that attitudes and perceptions of consumers differ mainly according to the district where they reside. In relation to the sustainable attributes, consumers considered food safety as the most important attribute of an animal product, followed by environmental protection. Regarding animal food production in Mexico, consumers perceived in first place that this benefits local producers, that they are safe products, that it improves animal welfare, and, finally, that it conserves the environment. These results revealed that consumers in Mexico City show positive attitudes towards sustainable animal food production attributes, which could represent new opportunities for the food industry in Mexico.