Sheep meat consumer's characterization in the center of Santa Fe, Argentina.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a characterization of the consumer of sheep meat in the center of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. The information was obtained through semi-structured online surveys. The results indicate that consumers have a good perception of sheep meat (quality, flavor, forms and moments of consumption), they buy it directly from the field (informal slaughter) and show interest in the traceability of the product. They prefer animals raiced in the outdoor grazing, they demand healthy meat, a brand or a quality mark, and they are willing to pay more for quality attributes. The identified aspects are key when defining the business model or the strategies to be used to achieve competitive and sustainable sheep meat production.