Consumer behaviour and expectations of bean varieties in Mauritius[Comportements et attentes des consommateurs vis-à-vis des variétés de haricots à Maurice]

The FoodSec-Semence project (2021-2025) aims to improve farmers' access to quality seeds and seedlings in the Indian Ocean. In Mauritius, the project focuses on two strategic crops: potatoes and beans. This report presents the results obtained for beans under Activity 1, which aims to acquire in-depth knowledge of the seed sector, the agro-economic context and farmers' needs and expectations. This report presents the results of a survey of 168 consumers in 2022, carried out to identify the behaviors and expectations of this type of stakeholder with regard to beans: fresh green beans, fresh pinto beans, processed beans (canned or frozen). The results confirm the importance of beans in the eating habits of Mauritians, who regularly and frequently buy fresh green beans (96% of consumers surveyed) and 70% buy pinto beans. For fresh green beans, the selection criteria at the time of purchase are numerous and "combined", but the three most influential criteria are price, appearance and "tenderness". The quantities of fresh green beans purchased depend on income, while the frequency of purchase depends on the price of fresh beans. Nearly 60% of consumers say they buy processed green beans (mostly frozen), which are essentially imported products. Consumption of processed dried beans is widespread, with 73% of consumers claiming to buy them with high frequency (once a week or more for 55% of consumers). Among purchasers of processed dry beans, at equivalent prices, 54% would prefer to buy fresh pale beans. A large proportion of consumers surveyed (66%) were unaware of the bean varieties they consume. Finally, 18% of consumers said they were aware of the existence of bean varieties developed by FAREI, and in particular the Ferrina variety