Hopping on the localness craze: What brewers want from state-grown hops

Consumers habitually support local food and drink, but locally grown products often come from less developed value chains with lower quality control standards, which something suppliers must consider. Using data from Michigan craft breweries, we describe the determinants of a brewer's decision to purchase local hops. Utilizing generalized linear models, we determine how factors-including perceived consistency and attitudes towards localness-impact hop purchasing decisions. Results indicate that hop consistency is a leading factor, and beliefs about localness stimulating the economy or helping the environment may not be enough to drive local purchasing.

Automated summary

Consumers tend to support local food and drink, but local products may have lower quality standards; research suggests that hop consistency is a key factor in purchasing decisions, and attitudes towards localness may not necessarily impact buying decisions.