Factors influencing willingness to consume safe products in Tabriz County, case study: Cucumber and Tomato

Currently, conventional agriculture focuses on the production of agricultural products with excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, while reports from health organizations and environmentalists point to the harmful effects of this type of agriculture on human health and the environment. One of the most important bases for the development of the consumption of safe products is their acceptance by consumers. Considering the high proportion of cucumbers and tomatoes in the household food basket, the present study investigated the factors influencing the willingness to consume safe cucumbers and tomatoes in Tabriz county. For this purpose, the required data was collected by filling out a questionnaire from 345 households selected by a proportional stratified random sampling procedure. Descriptive results showed that the consumption of safe Cucumber and Tomato is low in Tabriz county. Based on the results of the estimated logit model, family size had a negative influence and age, education level, income level, presence in the household of persons with a professional or educational background in nutrition, the company of persons with a history of diseases caused by the consumption of chemical pesticides in the kinship, awareness index, opinion index, and access and information index had a positive influence on the willingness to consume safe cucumbers and tomatoes.The increase of awareness and development of general public opinion about the benefits of safe products through the media and schools, as well as the expansion of safe product supply centers and the support of the prices of these products by the government, are influential factors in the development of safe produce consumption.