Origin has become the single most important factor driving purchase decisions
En cada mercado, cada vez que una mano escoge una naranja, se está escribiendo un pequeño capítulo de una historia más amplia sobre identidad, confianza y pertenencia. Un estudio de Aecoc revela que el origen del producto se ha convertido en el principal criterio de compra para los consumidores españoles de frutas y verduras, superando incluso al precio, en un momento en que la competencia de productos importados presiona con fuerza el mercado nacional. Dos tercios de los encuestados pagarían más por productos locales o de pequeños agricultores de su región, una señal de que la relación entre el consumidor y la tierra que le alimenta está adquiriendo un nuevo peso moral y económico.
- El origen del producto ha desbancado al precio como primer factor de decisión de compra, reordenando las prioridades del consumidor español de forma contundente.
- El 72% de los consumidores ya tiene en cuenta la procedencia al comprar fruta y verdura, y casi uno de cada tres busca específicamente productos de kilómetro cero.
- La fruta importada inunda progresivamente el mercado español, generando una tensión directa con los productores locales que ven amenazada su cuota de mercado.
- El sector se reunió en el congreso anual de Aecoc —con más de 700 profesionales— para reclamar campañas promocionales genéricas que frenen el descenso en el consumo de productos frescos.
- La preferencia por lo local existe, pero el riesgo es que se diluya si la industria no logra organizarse para capitalizarla antes de que el mercado se contraiga aún más.
Cada vez que alguien elige una naranja en el mercado, toma una decisión que va más allá del precio. Un estudio de Aecoc, la asociación española de fabricantes y distribuidores, confirma que esa decisión está cambiando de forma significativa: el origen se ha convertido en el factor más determinante en la compra de frutas y verduras, por encima de la sostenibilidad, la comodidad e incluso el precio. El 63% de los consumidores encuestados afirma que pagaría más por productos cultivados localmente o por pequeños agricultores de su región.
Los datos son elocuentes: siete de cada diez consumidores tienen en cuenta la procedencia al comprar. El 43% busca activamente productos de origen español, y el 32% prioriza los de kilómetro cero. Estas cifras se presentaron en el congreso anual del sector, donde más de 700 profesionales debatieron estrategia de mercado, sostenibilidad y el futuro de la cadena agroalimentaria.
Desde el Consejo Regulador de la IGP 'Cítricos Valencianos', su director general José Enrique Sanz defendió el origen como argumento central para conectar con el consumidor, destacando las ventajas organolépticas de la fruta valenciana —sabor, madurez, color— fruto del clima de sus tres provincias. Pero también advirtió de la urgencia de campañas promocionales sostenidas, ante la creciente presión de la fruta importada en el mercado español.
Esa preocupación resonó en todo el congreso. Distribuidores y grandes superficies reclamaron campañas genéricas para frutas y verduras que reviertan el descenso en el consumo de productos frescos. El mercado se mueve, pero también se contrae. Los consumidores han señalado lo que quieren; ahora el sector debe organizarse para responder a tiempo.
Every time someone reaches for an orange at the market, they're making a choice that goes deeper than price. A new study from Aecoc, Spain's association of manufacturers and distributors, suggests that choice is shifting in a decisive direction: toward knowing where the fruit comes from.
The numbers tell a clear story. Nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed—63 percent—said they would pay more for fruits and vegetables grown locally or by small farmers in their region. That's not a marginal preference. That's a fundamental reordering of what matters when people buy food. Marta Munné, who leads research for Aecoc's Shopperview division, framed it plainly: origin has become the single most important factor driving purchase decisions, outweighing sustainability concerns, convenience, and even price itself.
The data goes deeper still. Seven in ten consumers now factor origin into their buying choices. When it comes to Spanish-grown produce specifically, 43 percent actively seek it out. And 32 percent prioritize products labeled as local or zero-kilometer—food that travels barely any distance from field to table. These findings emerged during Aecoc's annual congress, where more than 700 industry figures gathered to discuss market strategy, sustainability, consumption patterns, and the future of the agricultural supply chain. The congress has become Spain's primary meeting ground for the fruit and vegetable sector, a place where the industry takes its own pulse.
The Regulatory Council for the Protected Geographical Indication 'Valencian Citrus' used the platform to make a case for origin as the central argument in reaching consumers. José Enrique Sanz, the council's director-general, pointed to the tangible advantages of Valencian-grown fruit: deeper flavor, better ripeness levels, more vivid color—all gifts of the region's year-round climate. He urged consumers to recognize and value what they're eating when they buy oranges, mandarins, or lemons from any of Valencia's three provinces. The message was clear: consumers are voting for origin and quality, and producers should lean into that.
But Sanz also sounded a note of urgency. He emphasized the need for sustained promotional campaigns aimed at both consumers and wholesalers, particularly as imported fruit from distant regions increasingly floods the Spanish market. This concern echoed through the congress itself. Major retailers and distributors made the same plea: they want generic promotional campaigns for fruits and vegetables that will drive consumption upward and reverse a troubling decline in how much fresh produce people are actually eating. The market is shifting, but it's also contracting, and producers see promotion as essential to capturing the growing preference for local origin before that preference becomes academic.
What's emerging is a market in motion. Consumers have signaled what they want. The question now is whether the industry can organize itself to deliver it—and whether those promotional campaigns can move the needle enough to matter.
Citações Notáveis
Origin has become the most important driver in consumer purchasing decisions, surpassing price, sustainability, and convenience— Marta Munné, Aecoc Shopperview research director
Valencian citrus offers deeper flavor, better ripeness levels, and more vivid color thanks to the region's year-round climate— José Enrique Sanz, director-general of the Valencian Citrus Protected Geographical Indication Council
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does origin matter so much more now than it did before? What changed in people's minds?
I think people started connecting the dots between where food comes from and what it tastes like, how fresh it is, whether they can trust it. When you know a farmer's name or a region's reputation, you're not just buying a product—you're buying a story you can verify.
But 63 percent willing to pay more—that's a big shift. Is this just wealthy consumers, or is it broader?
The study doesn't break it down by income, but the fact that origin outranks price as a decision factor suggests it's cutting across different groups. People aren't saying price doesn't matter. They're saying origin matters more.
So why are retailers worried about declining consumption if people care this much?
Because caring and buying are different things. People might prefer local produce, but if it's harder to find, costs too much, or isn't promoted well, they'll buy what's convenient. The industry is trying to close that gap.
What about the imported fruit flooding the market? Is that a real threat or just industry talk?
It's real. Cheaper fruit from elsewhere is always available. Without active promotion of local alternatives, consumers might default to price even if they'd prefer local. That's why the council is pushing so hard for campaigns.
So this study is really a call to action, not just a celebration of changing preferences?
Exactly. It's evidence that the market wants what Valencia produces. Now producers have to prove they can deliver it at scale and make it visible enough that preference becomes habit.