“Quality certifications and local origin have a positive influence on consumer perceptions and increase their willingness to pay a premium price.”
This is according to Marcelo Werneck, who holds a PhD in Business Administration and is a professor and researcher at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, specializing in issues related to sustainable management in the food industry.
The Brazilian specialist participated in one of the technical meetings led by Chileprunes, as part of the recent certification of processing plants and the signing of the new Clean Production Agreement (APL) for the implementation of the Sustainability Standard for the primary production of prunes.
Variations in consumer trust in certifications depend on how trustworthy consumers perceive the food system and its stakeholders to be. “The higher the level of trust in certification, the less need there is to trust individual food stakeholders, and vice versa,” he explained.
On this topic, he presented several agro-industrial success stories. For example, the number of certification logos displayed on extra virgin olive oil in Europe, and their level of recognition, have improved the overall perception of the product.
Regarding the fruit market in Europe, organic certification and local origin have significantly influenced purchasing preferences for fruits and vegetables. “There is a strong preference for products perceived as healthier, fresher, and more environmentally friendly,” he notes. Another example: communicating specific regional origins—in the case of tropical fruits in Sicily—established a genuine connection with the place of origin and increased the product’s perceived value.
However, Marcelo Werneck emphasized that the success of these certifications does not always translate into a direct and immediate “premium” per kilogram of fruit, but rather into certain strategic indicators:
- Guaranteed Market Access: It prevents the risk of exclusion from the world’s most profitable commercial supply chains.
- Cost Reduction Through Efficiency: Sustainability standards require the optimization of water, energy, and pesticide use, thereby lowering production costs per hectare.
- Reduction in Rejections at Destination: Improvements in harvesting and packaging processes ensure that the fruit is in optimal condition upon arrival, protecting the exporter’s revenue.
In closing, the expert emphasized that certifications alleviate foreign buyers’ mistrust and provide observable quality indicators on the packaging that attest to the product’s origin and the orchard’s good practices.
But… “commercial success does not depend on isolated efforts, but rather on public-private governance to standardize plant and orchard standards,” the specialist stated.
In the photo, Marcelo Werneck on the left alongside Pedro Acuña, executive director of Chileprunes; Jesús de la Riva, president of Ciruelas Chile A.G.; and Pedro Pablo Díaz, president of Chileprunes.
