Title: Consumers' willingness to pay for olive oil with sustainability characteristics: a bibliometric analysis and directions for future research

Authors: Veronica Marozzo; Antonio Crupi; Alessandra Costa; Tindara Abbate

Addresses: Department of Economics, University of Messina, Piazza Pugliatti, 1 – 98122 Messina, Italy ' Department of Economics, University of Messina, Piazza Pugliatti, 1 – 98122 Messina, Italy ' Department of Economics, University of Messina, Piazza Pugliatti, 1 – 98122 Messina, Italy ' Department of Economics, University of Messina, Piazza Pugliatti, 1 – 98122 Messina, Italy

Abstract: Organic foodstuffs have become the core sustainable alternative to conventional food consumption. Specifically, this change in consumer habits is even more evident concerning olive oil, considering the increased attention to the product's quality and food security. This review aims to identify the state-of-the-art and research gaps in consumer willingness to pay (WTP) towards olive oil with sustainability characteristics by identifying the main trajectories through which the literature on the theme is developing and providing future research directions based on the analysis. In the study, 120 articles have been analysed via a mixed methodology based on a preliminary bibliometric analysis of the selected scientific contributions and a more fine-grained qualitative analysis of the contents. Three crucial research trajectories (i.e., the growing attention toward sustainability, the health, nutrition, and quality characteristics of olive oil, and the consumers' behaviour concerning purchase attitude and perception of the importance of organic food) emerged.

Keywords: sustainability; organic olive oil; willingness to pay; WTP; Mediterranean diet; bibliometric literature review; content analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2023.136892

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2023 Vol.20 No.4, pp.387 - 411

Received: 14 Nov 2022
Accepted: 18 Jun 2023
Published online: 26 Feb 2024 *

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