Consumers and agroforestry systems

Orchards are habitats with a high level of biodiversity. However, developments in recent decades show that despite their ecological importance, political support and the work of orchard initiatives, stocks in Germany continue to decline. Against this background, the aim of the research work is to show ways in which the value of orchards can be increased through improved consumer communication. In order to better understand the purchasing decisions of consumers, it is determined which perceptions and preferences are related to orchard fruit products and how orchard fruit products should be communicated in order to achieve a willingness to buy among consumers, even at higher product prices. The following questions will be answered

• What do consumers understand by orchard fruit? What associations do they have with orchard fruit?
• What preferences and what willingness to pay do they have for orchard fruit products (apple juice) and what factors influence them?
• What are the potential buyer segments for orchard fruit products? How do they differ?