An online survey to know consumers’ habits and perception on honey consumption

In the next weeks, the BPRACTICES team will launch a survey targeting honey buyers. The activity is part of the WP7 “New traceability system” and will be run in Italy by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie. A sample of consumers responsible for the purchasing of honey will be surveyed using CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) method.

During the past decades consumers have risen specific concerns not only regarding quality and safety of bee products (for example the presence of drug residues or chemicals from environmental pollution) but also regarding the protection of bees as an essential element of the ecosystem. In this framework, the questionnaire will investigate:

• Purchase habits;
• Preferences of consumption;
• Knowledge about honey and its production chain.

Data will be crucial not only for the improvement of the innovative traceability system proposed by the BPRACTICES research team, but also for the design of tailored communication interventions aimed to increase the consumers’ awareness on the project issues and the honeybee food chain.