Assessing consumer support for pesticide reduction in vineyards and olive groves using choice experiment and contingent valuation methods

While the EU's pesticide reduction efforts primarily target farmers, consumers also play a crucial role in achieving these goals through their purchasing decisions. This survey collects data from 5,091 consumers who purchased both wine and olive oil in the three months preceding the survey, assessing their willingness to pay for products made with reduced pesticide use.

Conducted in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, the survey gathers insights into purchase habits, preferences, attitudes, perceptions, previous purchasing behavior, and willingness to pay a premium. For wine consumers, a discrete choice experiment based on past purchases was used, while contingent valuation was applied for olive oil consumers. Additionally, wine consumers were categorized into organic and conventional buyers, with each group presented with tailored choice sets based on their previous purchases.

There were no missing values, and all respondents provided consent before participating. The data contribute to understanding consumer willingness to support the EU's target of halving pesticide use by 2030. Findings offer valuable insights into how much wine and olive oil consumers are willing to pay for partial and full pesticide reduction in viticulture and olive farming, respectively, highlighting how consumer demand could be leveraged to drive pesticide reduction in these sectors.