摘要：A quality differentiation strategy for agrifood products based on geographical origin and production method has become a viable alternative for certain firms in the internationalized food markets, if it could be considered as a rural development instrument. This method of adding value to their products nevertheless requires them to take into account not only objective factors, which tend to be related to product characteristics, but also subjective factors that are more closely linked to consumers’ assessment of their differentiating features and the factors that influence that assessment. The study confirms using various structural equation models the key impact of consumers’ attitudes towards these products (image) on final purchase behaviour. The experiment was conducted both inside and outside the production region of two selected food items and in all markets it will be necessary to act upon both attitudinal components, that is, product image in its various dimensions and consumer attitude toward the region of origin, in order to develop these markets, where, currently, product characteristics are found to have the stronger influence.
