Willingness to pay for product ecological footprint: Organic vs non-organic consumers

Elena Mamouni Limnios, Steven G.M. Schilizzi, Michael Burton, Angeline Ong and Niki Hynes

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2016, vol. 111, issue C, 338-348

Abstract: The problem of environmental degradation is large and widespread, with consumption of food being a major contributor to a households' ecological impact. The Product Ecological Footprint (PEF) is a new information management process of “self-improving” accuracy that enables producers to quantify product environmental impact. This study addresses two key questions; consumer willingness to pay and application readiness for PEF. We use choice experiments to identify the value consumers place on PEF as a label. We then examine data availability, information processing systems and accreditation protocols that would be required to support a market-wide application of PEF. Findings highlight an opportunity to influence the behaviour of the larger market segment of conventional (non-organic) consumers. Further research is required into the interaction between PEF and organics, PEF and origin, marketing and branding of the label, for market wide applications to be considered. A key question emerges as to whether PEF requires a different application platform than a voluntary eco-label scheme to instigate behavioural change.

Keywords: Product ecological footprint; Eco-labels; Choice experiment; WTP; Environmental policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:111:y:2016:i:c:p:338-348

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.05.009

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