An overview of the goat meat sector in Guadeloupe: conditions of production, consumer preferences, cultural functions and economic implications

摘要

Guadeloupe,aFrenchWestIndianislandischaracterisedbyamultiethnicpopulationamongwhichtheIndo-GuadeloupeanshaverecreatedakindoflocalHinduism.Entirebucksareusedforanimalsacrificesinthequot;Indianculturequot;.Acceptabilityofgoatmeatseemstobehighlyinfluencedbylocalcustoms,thereforeconsumerpreferencesmustbetakenintoaccounttoanalysetheanimalsector.Twosetsofqualitativesurveyswerecarriedout(atotalof63answerswasanalysed)toobtainaninitialapproachtothebehaviourofGuadeloupeanconsumersasregardsgoatmeat.nbsp;Seventypercentofpeoplesurveyedboughtonlyfreshmeatandalowerpercentage(21%)sometimespurchasedfrozenimportedmeat.Onethirdoftheconsumersboughtitinitsfreshformregardlessofprice.Thecriteriaofqualityforfreshmeatareitstaste(47%)anditscolour(47%),whilethoseforfrozenmeatarenotwelldefinedas80%ofthepeoplecouldnotgiveanydefiniteanswer.Themainnegativeassumptionsaboutthepracticalaspectsofthelocalmeatarefor42%ofanswerslowavailabilityandfor32%it'shighprice(12to15#8364;/kgcarcass).Intheconsumerchoice,thereisnocompetitionbetweenlocalfreshgoatmeatvs.importedfrozenchevonormutton.TheconsumptionofgoatmeatistrulydependentonthecommunitytowhichtheGuadeloupeanconsumerbelongs.All(100%)Indo-Guadeloupeanssurveyedeatgoatmeatwhile30%ofAfro-Guadeloupeansdonot.Goatmeatisconsumedintwodifferentways:skinnedcarcass(100%ofthosesurveyed)intheIndiancommunityanddehaired(70%ofthosesurveyed)intheBlackcommunity.Supplyisnotsufficienttomeetdomesticdemandforthisveryfestivemeat,thusnbsp;opportunitiesexistforincreaseinlocalproduction.nbsp;nbsp;Morethan55%ofthelocalbuckproductionisusedinthisparticularsub-sector.Moreover,themeatcookedaccordingtoanIndianrecipeknownasquot;colomboquot;hasbecomeanationalmealwhichisappreciatedbyalltheGuadeloupeancommunitieswhichexplainswhygoatmeatisafestivemeatandalsoitshighlocaldemand.Theculturalfunctionsandeconomicimplicationsaredescribedinthepaper.