23 May 2011

Otago food shoppers' habits studied

8:01 am on 23 May 2011

The buying habits of food shoppers in Otago are being studied in a project that aims to create a new type of food economy.

Project manager Rhys Miller says the study is exploring why up to 5000 people flock to local farmers' markets every week.

He says understanding what drives them to buy at local markets will enable food producers to match that demand.

Mr Miller says food production within New Zealand is export-led, and they want to see if it is worth developing a local food economy model.

He says they'll study the red meat buying habits of consumers in Wanaka and Dunedin, where in future it may be more profitable for producers to sell product locally than ship overseas.

Mr Miller says the study will explore why people want to directly support producers in their own region.

The aim is to complete the project by May next year.