Stakeholders in agri-food value chains cater to final consumers whose needs and preferences are increasingly complex and dynamic. To support effective strategic business decisions in this evolving consumer landscape, the BFAP Consumer and Food Economics Division applies multidisciplinary and innovative methodologies (pertaining to food economics, nutrition and consumer behaviour studies) to analyse and deliver actionable insights into targeted consumer markets. Furthermore, the division is fully integrated within BFAP’s broader organizational structure, encompassing all value chain nodes, enabling the generation of consumer insights that are informed by and aligned with the wider agricultural landscape in South Africa and beyond.
Our strategic market insights are based on a deep-rooted understanding of the factors affecting the South African consumer landscape in terms of both socio-economic dynamics and the impact of ever-changing qualitative consumer perceptions, needs, preferences and behaviour (i.e. consumer food trends) affecting consumers’ food purchasing, consumption behaviour and nutritional impacts. Depending on the nature of the strategic question, our work deals with an array of geographical levels, e.g. focusing on the national or provincial levels or more refined geo-locations where applicable.
Interested in learning more about the division’s outputs? See below:
Providing strategic consumer-focused marketing and food consumption insights, e.g.:
• South African consumers’ perceptions and willingness to accept and pay for ‘ugly’ potatoes in South Africa within the context of food waste reduction and sustainability. See:
https://www.potatoes.co.za/consumer-perceptions-regarding-ugly-potatoes/
• South African consumers’ knowledge and perceptions regarding soya products. See:
https://www.opot.co.za/imgs/oilseeds-focus/2022/oilseeds-focus-vol-8-no-1-march-2022.pdf
• Meat intake and sustainability: Are South African consumers willing to eat less red meat for the sake of sustainability? See:
https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/ejc-ac_redm_v13_n4_a20
• Enabling marketing strategies for the South African red meat industry: See:
https://agriorbit.com/red-meat-cooking-methods-among-consumers-western-cape/
https://agriorbit.com/red-meat-labelling-what-consumers-want/
Insights into food inflation and food affordability, e.g.:
• Food inflation monitoring and analysis: The BFAP Food Inflation Brief is released monthly, following the official monthly release of the Stats SA CPI inflation figures. We explore food price inflation movements, analyse inflation on individual food items, present a historical view on international food inflation and drivers, explore the factors affecting food inflation in the South African context, as well as perspectives on future expectations. See:
https://www.bfap.co.za/food-inflation-brief-may-2025-prices/
https://www.bfap.co.za/food-inflation-brief-april-2025-prices/
Inflation chapters in various Baseline publications.
• Food affordability analysis from the perspective of both typical food consumption, and ‘ideal’ (basic healthy) eating as measured with the BFAP Thrifty Healthy Food Basket. See:
https://www.bfap.co.za/food-inflation-brief-may-2025-prices/
https://www.bfap.co.za/food-inflation-brief-april-2025-prices/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1181683/pdf
Inflation chapters in various Baseline publications.
