Consumer acceptance of local chicken crossbreeds: insights from a cafeteria experiment

Modern poultry production relies heavily on a limited number of intensively selected commercial breeds and hybrids, putting many local chicken breeds at risk of extinction due to their low productivity. Yet, maintaining agro-biodiversity is critical for adaptability and ensuring a diverse genetic resource pool for ecosystem integrity. Crossbreeding of local breeds and commercial breeds may increase productivity, provided that pure local breeds are maintained as nucleus flocks, thereby contributing to the preservation of agro-biodiversity. This study aimed to assess sensory consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for local German chicken crossbreeds with an information intervention regarding agro-biodiversity. An in-situ experiment conducted in a university cafeteria in Germany (n = 642) provided real-life conditions to evaluate consumer behaviour, using a 3-factorial design. The results showed that overall liking was higher for commercial breeds. However, consumers preferred local crossbreed thighs over commercial breed thighs, with local breed thighs rated higher for tenderness, meal satisfaction, and being less dry. The information intervention significantly enhanced consumers' overall liking for local crossbreeds and positively influenced their attitudes toward the preservation of agro-biodiversity. The information intervention led to an increased willingness to pay for local crossbreeds, highlighting the potential of information dissemination to promote support for locally adapted breeds and the preservation of agro-biodiversity. Overall, offering local chicken breeds in cafeterias, combined with information on agro-biodiversity, can enhance consumer acceptance and contribute to the sustainable preservation of genetic diversity in poultry.