Opinion of Spanish Consumers on Hydrosustainable Pistachios

Abstract

Fruits and vegetables cultivated under controlled deficit irrigation (CDI) are called hydrosustainable (hydroSOS) products and have its own personality and are environmentally-friendly. Focus groups helped in classifying key farming, sensory, and health concepts associated with CDI-grown pistachios. Besides, focus groups also helped in stating that a logo was needed for these special foods, and that a hydroSOS index is also essential to certify that the products have been controlled by a control board. Conjoint analysis was used to check which attributes could be helpful in promoting CDI-grown pistachios among Spanish consumers in a 1st step toward the European Union (EU) market. It was clearly proved that the main silo of properties driving the attention of Spanish consumers was that related to health. The most important attributes for pistachios were "product of Spain," "rich in antioxidant," and "crunchy"; this finding was clearly related to the popularity of regional foods, the preoccupation of European consumers for their health, and the joy related to the crunchiness of toasted nuts, respectively. The use of these 3 concepts, together with the use of the hydroSOS logo, will be essential to promote hydroSOS pistachios among Spanish and EU consumers. Finally, it is important to highlight that in general Spanish consumers were willing to pay an extra amount of 1.0 euros per kg of hydroSOS pistachios. These earnings will be essential to convince Spanish farmers to implement CDI strategies and have a sustainable and environmental-friendly use of the irrigation water.

Effect of Spanish‐style processing on the quality attributes of HydroSOStainable green olives

“…RDI table olives belong to a group of vegetable products named hydroSOStainable . These products are characterized by having unique characteristics: (i) high intensity of some key sensorial attributes, (ii) high content of some nutritional and functional components, and (iii) reduced use of water, which is a benefit for both farmers (economic benefit) and for the environment (water sustainability) …”

Deficit irrigation and emerging fruit crops as a strategy to save water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems

“…4). Noguera-Artiaga et al (2016) also found that consumers are willing to pay a reasonably higher price for hydroSOS pistachios, if they are properly labeled and identified. However, further research is needed to check whether this greater willingness to pay is the similar for all fruits.…”

“…Also, an international consumer study about the opinion of European consumers on pistachios grown under RDI indicated that the kernels resulting from moderate RDI applied during stage II obtained a higher intensities of characteristic sensory attributes and a greater level of satisfaction among international consumers than kernels from FI trees or from those exposed to severe RDI during stage II (Carbonell-Barrachina et al, 2014;Noguera-Artiaga et al, 2016).…”

“…However, consumers need to identify such products, which should be clearly labeled and displayed separate from other products of the same type, otherwise their potential will be lost in a sea of products. Very few groups have studied consumer opinion concerning DI fruits (Lopez et al, 2016;Fernandes-Silva et al, 2013), but Noguera-Artiaga et al (2016) even proposed an identity brand to protect this type of product, which might be called hydroSOStainable or, in abbreviated and easier to remember form, hydroSOS. According to these authors, hydroSOS products will have a solid identity based on two main factors: (i) water deficit can increase the plant secondary metabolite content and, thus, the functionality of the edible products (Ripoll et al, 2014), and (ii) the products are environmentally friendly because of the sustainable use of a very scarce resource, water (Fig.…”

Phytochemical composition of smoothies combining pomegranate juice (Punica granatum L) and Mediterranean minor crop purées (Ficus carica, Cydonia oblonga, and Ziziphus jujube)

“…Pomegranate shrubs (Punica granatum L., cvs 'Mollar de Elche' and 'Wonderful') were cultivated on a farm located in Murcia (Spain) under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). [14][15][16][17] Pomegranate cvs 'Mollar de Elche' and 'Wonderful' , figs (Ficus carica, cv. 'Colar'), jujubes (Ziziphus jujube, cv.…”