CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR TRADITIONAL TORTILLA USING CONTINGENT VALUATION

Abstract

The tortilla is a staple food in the Mexican diet. However, in recent years, it has been declining in quality and nutritional value due to the use of flour and the industrialization of production processes. Fresh traditional tortillas are known to possess superior nutritional and nutraceutical properties compared to commercially produced tortillas, along with unmatched flavor and texture. Consumers have increased their preferences for local, more natural products produced in an eco-friendly agricultural manner. Thus, soil degradation, water pollution, and the loss of biodiversity are avoided. However, the price consumers are willing to pay for a tortilla with these attributes is unknown. Using the contingent valuation method (CVM) in its referendum and double-bounded formats, the aim of this investigation was to estimate consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the tortilla they consume with the following attributes: native maize content, organic production, and traditional nixtamalization. Moreover, the variables that explained the behavior of the WTP were determined. A total of 216 surveys were conducted between January and March 2024 in 15 municipalities of the State of Mexico belonging to the metropolitan area of the Valley of Mexico. The double-bounded CVM displayed the highest theoretical consistency. The variables of price, monetary income, gender, education level, economic dependents, and age of the respondent helped estimate the WTP. The estimated value was MXN 36.12 per kg of tortilla.