GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida consumers see value in and are willing to pay more for locally-grown products, especially when it comes to landscape and ornamental plants, according to a new study conducted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member Hayk Khachatryan.
Khachatryan, who leads the Consumer Behavior & Insights Lab at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, conducted a rating-based experiment and eye tracking measures with Florida consumers to understand what they think of local plant production, how likely they are to purchase local plants, and their opinions on the Fresh from Florida promotional signs.
“The Fresh from Florida brand really is an underutilized resource for the landscape and ornamental nursery industry,” Khachatryan said. “Consumers see value in the label and are willing to pay higher prices for plants with that label. That is profit that could be passed directly onto growers.”
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