Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

A discrete choice experiment to measure the potential market for baru nuts: Evidence from European consumer preferences

¹Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Fac. of Life Sciences, Germany
²Weihenstephan Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Sustainable and resilient farming and food systems, Germany

Abstract

The Brazilian Cerrado is a savannah of global importance that has been threatened by agricultural expansion and the conversion of forests into intensively managed pastures. The expansion of the international market for its non-timber forest products could help minimise current challenges. The creation of a European market for Baru nuts (Dipteryx alata Vog.) has the potential to improve rural livelihood and increase forest resilience in the Brazilian Cerrado. This work analyses consumer preferences for Baru nuts in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Portugal, using a discrete choice experiment with 1024 consumers of nuts. We designed a questionnaire for a fictitious Baru nuts product with 7 product attributes, including distribution location, number of certifications, physical presentation, collection site, and environmental and social information. Random utility theory in attribute choices will be designed to focus on important daily uses of products, such as ease of purchase, consumption form, visibility of Cerrado, and positive social impacts on rural communities, as a guarantee of no child labour during collection. Three conditional logit models are estimated, stratifying the sample by demographic, social, and individual preferences related to nutritional habits. Results show a significant difference among countries in the average marginal willingness to pay for different attributes. A conventional product distribution in supermarkets is associated with a higher willingness to pay in Sweden, whereas in the Netherlands, consumers rank products with strong environmental benefits highest in terms of willingness to pay. Product price is significant only in Portugal, and social guarantees have the highest positive impact on the Portuguese market.

Keywords: Brazilian Cerrado, discrete choice experiment, European consumer market, marginal willigness to pay, non-timber forest products

Contact Address: Eleydiane Maria Gomes Vale, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Fac. of Life Sciences, Marie-Curie-Straße 1, 47533 Kleve, Germany, e-mail: eleydiane.gomes-valehochschule-rhein-waal.de