Are university students really hungry for sustainability? A choice experiment on new food products from circular economy

Naomi di Santo, Giovanbattista Califano, Roberta Sisto, Francesco Caracciolo and Vittoria Pilone
Additional contact information
Naomi di Santo: University of Bari Aldo Moro
Roberta Sisto: University of Foggia
Vittoria Pilone: University of Foggia

Agricultural and Food Economics, 2024, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Consumers are demonstrating increasing awareness towards initiatives promoting sustainable practices in the food sector. This is particularly pronounced among university students, a segment known for its receptivity to sustainability initiatives. Utilizing a choice experiment, this study examines the Italian students’ preferences for fruit juice produced by a hypothetical company. Specifically, the research explicitly assesses the premium price attributable to a circular economy certification—a relatively new standard—in comparison with the widely recognized and appreciated organic certification. Furthermore, the study evaluates the potential additive value of possessing both certifications jointly. Results indicate that consumers are willing to pay a premium for products labelled with circular economy attributes. However, in the presence of an organic certification, the additive value of the circular economy certification is diminished by more than half. Finally, consumers who have received environmental training demonstrate a higher premium for such products, highlighting the role of education in promoting sustainable choices. These findings suggest that a potential market exists for circular economy-certified products, providing an incentive for businesses to adopt circular economy practices. Environmental training plays a relevant role in fostering sustainable transitions, thereby underscoring the significance of education in shaping conscious consumer behaviour.

Keywords: Choice experiment; Fruit juice; Circular economy; Consumer preference; Food labelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40100-024-00315-9 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:12:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-024-00315-9

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nomics/journal/40100

DOI: 10.1186/s40100-024-00315-9

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural and Food Economics is currently edited by Alessandro Banterle, Liesbeth Dries, Andrea Marchini and Carlo Russo

More articles in Agricultural and Food Economics from Springer, Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().