The Analysis Of Consumer Preference For CSA Models And Influencing Factors

Community Supported/Shared Agriculture (CSA) is the "risk-sharing, benefit-sharing" way of cooperation between a farm or a group of farms and consumers or the local Community. Abroad, to attend CSA, consumers usually should pay advance membership fees to the farm owner according to season or month, used to make up for the cost of farm production and living so that the operation of farm can continue; As members, he can share some agricultural products every week in the local harvest season, participate in activities organized by the farm and enjoy farming experience, etc. In recent years, because of the frequent outbreaks of China’s food safety events, to look for healthy food for himself and his family, in addition to buy agricultural products with organic certification in stores, many consumers order products through organic farming. As a result, order mode of CSA get rapid development in China. Along with the acceleration industrialization and urbanization process in our country, while enjoying material life, urban residents yearn for rural life very much, and hope they can lease a private small land to experience farming life and culture so as to relieve urban life stress. In this context, new model of CSA started throughout the country. With consumer-shared farm as its space carrier, the operation model of "farming experience" has attracted more and more consumers becoming CSA members.The research of this paper is based on international experience and the actual situation in our country about the study of CSA, which is divided into order model and farming experience mode in this paper. Consumer demand theory, Rational choice theory, Perceived value theory are selected as the theoretical basis.Using the binary Logistic model, this paper examines the consumer preference of CSA Model, which is affected by factors that are discovered through using empirical analysis approach.This paper uses a sample of 290 effective questionnaires, which are obtained through on-the-spot investigation and online research from respondents willing to take part in CSA farm in June of 2013. The purpose of this study is to further analysis consumer preference of CSA Model(order model and farming experiencemode) and factors influencing consumers’choice, to provide corresponding opinions or marketing suggestions for enterprises to better plan and design CSA Model, make development strategy, improve the degree of preference of the CSA Model he chooses, attract more customers to become CSA members.The main contents of this paper include the following aspects:first is the literature review and theoretical model building. According to the theory of Rational choice theory, this consumption decision of choosing whether to participate in CSA is rational, and the choice of participating in which model will be affected by consumers’preference. Preference is the psychological effect of the consumers, and is the bias of order model or farming experience mode in this paper. According to Perceived value theory, preferences can be predicted by the perceived value of consumers in the face of choice. Through the further analysis of consumers’perception gains and losses in the face of two modes of CSA, the factors that affect consumer preference of CSA Model is divided into personal characteristics, family characteristics, consumer behavior characteristic, the marketing factors; Then use the survey data to analyze descriptive statistics ofconsumers’ personal characteristics, family characteristics and consumer’s choice of CSA model as well as their specific preferences; Then use the Logistic model to quantitatively analyze the influencing factors of consumer preferences of CSA mode; Finally, provide the conclusions of the research and four suggestions based on the conclusions and the analysis of a case.This main conclusions based on research and analysis are as follow:the higher the age, level of education, consumers tend to prefer "farming experience" mode instead of the "order"; Consumers who pay high attention to healthy diet but not very yearning for rural life tend to choose order model, and consumers who yearning for rural life and pay high attention to healthy diet tend to choose farming experience mode; Consumers who prefer farming experience model pay more attention to the plantations and the surrounding ecological environment, while consumers who prefer order model pay more attention to the quality of products and publicity of the plantations; having private car, traffic more convenient, more family members, friends or community residents willing to participate have a positive impact on consumer preference of farming experience model. Farmland leasing or distribution fees, entertainment condition are not the important factors that affect farm mode preference to citizens.