Objective:

Starting in the identification of the presence of organic food in Hermosillo, Sonora, consumer attitudes toward the attributes of the organic food are studied and their relation with the willing to pay a higher price to purchase them.

Methodology:

It´s an investigation of descriptive-correlation type based in a survey applied to a representative sample of 277 consumers (≥18 years), all visitors of supermarkets or specialized points of sale that offers organic products. A direct observation was made in the aisles of the establishments of main distribution chains to complement the study. The analysis unit is the consumer of fruit and vegetable food. The independent variables to analyze are organic food attributes and the dependent variable is the willingness to pay.

Results:

The presence of organic food in the city was confirmed as also a consumer with a high level of knowledge and purchase. In a scale of 1 to 5 (where 5 = totally agree), they attributed health benefits (4.68), nutritional proprieties (4.67), and the absence of chemicals (4.57). Likewise, the majority of the surveyed (92.5 %) pointed out interest in buying organic fruit and vegetable food if the price is similar to the price of conventional food and 39.4 % indicated their willing to pay even a little bit more to purchase them.

Limitations:

The study refers one single location, one specific class of product and a population segment. It is suggested to replicate it at the state level, incorporate products that are more organic and diversify the population profile participants.

Conclusions:

In Hermosillo, there is a group of consumers interested in purchase products with the attributes that organic food presents. They are willing to pay an over price. This represents an opportunity area to the local grower, certified in organic agriculture, interested in placing is products, more even in the case of fresh organic fruit and vegetables because the offer of such products is scarce in the supermarkets and specialized points of sale of this city.

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