Consumer Trust and Willingness to Pay for Local Food Evidence from a Proximity-Based Segmentation Approach

Local food systems face a paradox: growing consumer interest contrasts with the limited economic viability of small-scale producers. Understanding how consumer trust relates to willingness to pay and purchase frequency is therefore central. Drawing on proximity theory, this study conceptualizes trust as a multidimensional construct comprising value (quality, safety, and health), relational (producers and direct exchange), and provenance trust (spatial closeness). Using a representative survey of 812 Hungarian consumers, confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure over a unidimensional alternative. K-means clustering identified three trust-based consumer segments with systematically different market behaviors. Higher trust was associated with higher WTP and more frequent purchasing. A random forest robustness check indicated that provenance trust was the most important predictor of purchase frequency. However, effect sizes were moderate, suggesting that trust is meaningfully but not exclusively related to purchasing behavior. The findings highlight consumer heterogeneity and support trust-based segmentation in local food markets.