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Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia

Regional food systems are complex networks, with numerous retail sources that underpin a local economy. However, evidence is limited regarding how consumers define, identify, and source regionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables (RGFFV). A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tasmania (TAS) and...

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Autores principales: Kent, Katherine, Godrich, Stephanie, Murray, Sandra, Auckland, Stuart, Blekkenhorst, Lauren, Penrose, Beth, Lo, Johnny, Devine, Amanda
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230907/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32276497
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12041026
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author Kent, Katherine
Godrich, Stephanie
Murray, Sandra
Auckland, Stuart
Blekkenhorst, Lauren
Penrose, Beth
Lo, Johnny
Devine, Amanda
author_facet Kent, Katherine
Godrich, Stephanie
Murray, Sandra
Auckland, Stuart
Blekkenhorst, Lauren
Penrose, Beth
Lo, Johnny
Devine, Amanda
author_sort Kent, Katherine
collection PubMed
description Regional food systems are complex networks, with numerous retail sources that underpin a local economy. However, evidence is limited regarding how consumers define, identify, and source regionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables (RGFFV). A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tasmania (TAS) and South Western Australia (SWA) to compare how RGFFV are defined, identified and sourced by consumers, including self-reported consumption of selected RGFFV. Survey data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and t-tests. Results (TAS n = 120, SWA n = 123) identified that consumers had mixed perceptions of how RGFFV are defined, including produce sold at farmers markets, or grown within their region (TAS/SWA). RGFFV were commonly identified using product labelling (55% TAS, 69% SWA; p > 0.05). Respondents reported frequently shopping for RGFFV at major supermarkets, with more TAS respondents shopping weekly in comparison to SWA respondents (67% vs. 38%; p < 0.001). Supermarkets offered convenience and consumers enjoyed the experience of farmers’ markets, especially in TAS (42%) in comparison to SWA (21%; p = 0.012). The major RGFFV consumed were root vegetables and apples/pears, but consumers were frequently unsure about the produce’s provenance. Our findings indicate multiple opportunities to improve consumption of fresh, regional produce in TAS and SWA, which may positively impact regional economic growth and community health.
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spelling pubmed-72309072020-05-22 Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia Kent, Katherine Godrich, Stephanie Murray, Sandra Auckland, Stuart Blekkenhorst, Lauren Penrose, Beth Lo, Johnny Devine, Amanda Nutrients Article Regional food systems are complex networks, with numerous retail sources that underpin a local economy. However, evidence is limited regarding how consumers define, identify, and source regionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables (RGFFV). A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tasmania (TAS) and South Western Australia (SWA) to compare how RGFFV are defined, identified and sourced by consumers, including self-reported consumption of selected RGFFV. Survey data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and t-tests. Results (TAS n = 120, SWA n = 123) identified that consumers had mixed perceptions of how RGFFV are defined, including produce sold at farmers markets, or grown within their region (TAS/SWA). RGFFV were commonly identified using product labelling (55% TAS, 69% SWA; p > 0.05). Respondents reported frequently shopping for RGFFV at major supermarkets, with more TAS respondents shopping weekly in comparison to SWA respondents (67% vs. 38%; p < 0.001). Supermarkets offered convenience and consumers enjoyed the experience of farmers’ markets, especially in TAS (42%) in comparison to SWA (21%; p = 0.012). The major RGFFV consumed were root vegetables and apples/pears, but consumers were frequently unsure about the produce’s provenance. Our findings indicate multiple opportunities to improve consumption of fresh, regional produce in TAS and SWA, which may positively impact regional economic growth and community health. MDPI 2020-04-08 /pmc/articles/PMC7230907/ /pubmed/32276497 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12041026 Text en © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Kent, Katherine
Godrich, Stephanie
Murray, Sandra
Auckland, Stuart
Blekkenhorst, Lauren
Penrose, Beth
Lo, Johnny
Devine, Amanda
Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title_full Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title_fullStr Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title_full_unstemmed Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title_short Definitions, Sources and Self-Reported Consumption of Regionally Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Two Regions of Australia
title_sort definitions, sources and self-reported consumption of regionally grown fruits and vegetables in two regions of australia
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230907/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32276497
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12041026
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