Costs of production and willingness to pay for potato produced with a lower amount of agrochemicals. A case study in Argentina

In Argentina, potato growing is carried out at different times of the year and regions. The Southeastern Buenos Aires Province (SEBA) is one of the most important areas. The main destination of the product for fresh consumption is the domestic market, and Spunta is the most commercialized variety. Conventional production is characterized by high cost and intensive use of agrochemicals. Several sectors of the population, concerned about the use of agrochemicals and their effects on health and the environment, are willing to pay a Premium for food produced with a lower environmental impact. This work is focused on analyzing if it is feasible to reduce the costs of production when a lower quantity of agrochemicals is employed, and to evaluate if consumers would be willing to pay a differential price for such product.