Consumer preferences and economic valuation of a traditional Mexican cheese using discrete choice experiments

The production of traditional foods is strongly linked to the regions of origin where they are produced. These products are part of the culture and are key elements in the gastronomy of the regions, as they have unique sensory and nutritional characteristics derived from the production processes. The objective of this study was to identify the value attributes of a sample of consumers of Seco Encerado cheese, using the technique of discrete choice experiments (DCE), and to determine the additional willingness to pay (WTP) for each kilogram of cheese. The most important results were the identification of the significant attributes: price, origin and process, as well as the interactions: price - origin and process - label. The attributes that consumers consider important when choosing a product and for which they are willing to pay a premium price have been identified; two groups of consumers have been created (artisanal cheese enthusiasts and cheese consumers), who are interested in different evaluation attributes, different socio-demographic characteristics and the intrinsic links of the product with the territory. This research explored the valuation and WTP for Seco Encerado cheese, identifying a positive tendency on the part of consumers towards this product.