Exploring the use of local ingredients and sustainability practices in farm-to-table restaurants: a case study of aic cheptebo conference centre
Keywords:
Farm-to-table, local ingredients, sustainability practices, economic feasibility, consumer attitudesAbstract
The research studies the sustainable practices and use of local ingredients within farm-to-table restaurants at AIC Cheptebo Conference Centre. The research study investigates the implementation challenges and advantages of these practices which aim to develop local economies through partnerships with local agricultural farms and producers. The research studies how economical and profitable it is to use local ingredients and sustainable practices while also studying consumer preferences about restaurants that implement these practices. The research identifies the challenges and supporting factors that farm-to-table restaurants encounter when they try to use local ingredients and sustainable methods. The study used a crosssectional research design with 40% of 150 employees as participants. The study discovered that 60% of participants were male 80% of participants belonged to the 18-35 age group and 60% of participants had completed college education. Most respondents remained neutral about whether farm-to-table restaurants helped local producers but 60% of respondents agreed that these practices brought economic advantages and 60% of respondents showed high recommendation probability and 60% of respondents experienced no significant problems accessing treatment. The study discovered that a mostly young and educated workforce showed different opinions about farm-to-table support but the majority agreed with the economic advantages. The study suggests that restaurants should use their economic advantages and high customer recommendation rates to enhance their farm-to-table operations while they work to solve their small challenges in obtaining local ingredients.
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