Percepción de compra y consumo de alimentos adquiridos en supermercados y ferias agroecológicas de la ciudad de Cuenca 2023

Abstract

In the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, due to people's growing concern about the quality of the food they consume and its impact on their health, there is an interest in studying for the first time their purchasing decisions and knowledge in two important commercialization spaces: agroecological fairs and supermarkets. A sample of 14 supermarket shoppers and another of 14 agroecological fair shoppers, aged between 30 and 55 years, were recruited. Focus group, semi-structured interview and audio recording techniques were used for data collection, audio transcription was manual, and ATLAS.ti 23 software was used for data analysis. The results showed that buyers at the agroecological fair prioritize the purchase of fresh and organic food, but supermarket buyers prioritize the review of labeling. The most purchased and consumed foods at the agroecological fair were vegetables and fruits, but at the supermarket, dry goods, oils, meat, dairy and canned foods. In both places, people prefer to buy food in good condition, well preserved and stored in clean spaces, and they do not know the ingredients and production processes of most foods. In conclusion, between the agroecological fairs and supermarkets, there are clear differences both in the factors of purchase and in the foods, most purchased and consumed, but there are clear similarities in buyers’ knowledge and awareness of their health due to the way they buy.