Understanding the Value of Health: Insights into Extra Virgin Olive Oil Consumer Behaviour in Southern Italy

The paper investigates the determinants of consumers' willingness to pay a price premium for extra virgin olive oil with health claims on its label. Drawing on a multidimensional framework, the research explores the role of subjective and objective knowledge of the product, the importance attributed to the sensory attributes, the attention given to the health information, and the impact of socio-demographic variables on consumers' willingness to pay. Data were collected via an online questionnaire administered to 405 consumers in Sicily (Italy), a region with a strong olive oil tradition. Using a logistic regression model, the results show that subjective knowledge, the value assigned to health information, average expenditure for extra virgin olive oil, and household size significantly affect the willingness to pay. Conversely, flavour profile and objective knowledge do not have a statistically significant impact. These findings offer practical implications for extra virgin olive oil producers and marketers, highlighting the need for clear health-related labelling and targeted educational strategies to enhance consumer engagement and perceived value of the product with health claims on the label.