Qualitative assessment of value in Australian pork across cultures

Context: The Australian pork industry would benefit greatly from further development of export markets across Asia, but due to the small size of the Australian industry and cultural differences between Asia and the West, further insight into research is required for premium product development.

Aims: Qualitatively assess value in Australian pork across Australian and Chinese consumer groups to investigate perceived differences in cultural attitudes to pork.

Methods: Qualitative multivariate analysis (QMA).

Key results: Australian and Chinese opinions of Australian pork products, meat and offal, and farming systems differed significantly. Australian consumers desired expert opinion, traditional meat cuts with minimal packaging, and small-scale production with superior animal welfare. Chinese consumers wanted clean, healthy and versatile products, with consistent quality, without concerns around animal welfare.

Conclusions: The compatibility of the markets and consumer preferences show great promise for Australian pork holding value in the eyes of Chinese consumers,

Implications: Results offer insight for future product development for export and targeted domestic markets. Findings will also enable future quantitative research efforts to be more targeted and specific.