Public recognition of traditional vegetables at the municipal level: Implications for transgenerational knowledge transmission

• Main Authors: Yuta Uchiyama, Hikaru Matsuoka, Ryo Kohsaka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2017-06-01
• Series: Journal of Ethnic Foods
• Subjects: brand strategy; knowledge transmission; media; municipality; traditional vegetable
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235261811730029X

Background: In this paper, recognition of traditional agricultural products by the general public is presented and analyzed to explore the transgenerational aspects of traditional vegetables and their knowledge transfer. It is necessary to understand how the products are recognized by different generations and gender, in terms of retaining and branding the local products. Methods: A questionnaire survey with random sampling was conducted to identify the recognition of traditional vegetables including the Kaga and Noto vegetables in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. By understanding the degree of recognition, elaborating strategic plans for retention of traditional agricultural products and effective promotion of the products can be implemented. Results: The results from 149 respondents indicate that there are differences of recognition depending on their gender or age. In particular, young people obtain information on traditional vegetables mainly from TV, whereas older people gain information from newspapers. Furthermore, more than half of the Kaga vegetables are better recognized among the older generation. Conclusion: The analysis of this paper serves as the basis to capture the cultural importance, or to develop branding strategy as the results clarify the degree of recognition of residents and tourists from various generations. As the population has been aging, transmitting knowledge about the products to young people who have less knowledge is the urgent issue.