Measuring consumer preferences regarding organic labelling and the JAS label in particular

Masaji Sakagami, Masayuki Satō, Kazuhiro Ueta

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research · 2006 · 35 citations · 15 references

DOIFull text

Open access

Concepts

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to examine whether Japanese consumers show a preference for particular types of food certification, particularly the organic Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) label, and how important certification of food products is compared to their freshness and source. Organic JAS certification is a certification system with government‐backed legal foundations. To consider these issues, we conducted a willingness to pay (WTP) survey for vegetables (spinach) as food products with a choice experiment (CE). The vegetables presented in the CE had four attributes: freshness, source, price, and certification. As a result, we found that Japanese consumers valued food certifications and had a WTP for them, including the JAS label. On the other hand, certification was a smaller factor than freshness and source in vegetable purchasing criteria. Freshness was the most important factor for Japanese consumers.

References

15