Title | Are consumers "green" enthusiasts or skeptics? Evidence from nontimber forest products |
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ID_Doc | 66597 |
Authors | Paudel, B; Zhou, M |
Title | Are consumers "green" enthusiasts or skeptics? Evidence from nontimber forest products |
Year | 2024 |
Published | |
Abstract | In recent years, in response to consumers' increasing demand for "greener" products due to growing environmental awareness, more and more businesses have turned to eco-labels to assert the environmental benefits of their products or services. However, it remains unclear how consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) varies with different types of eco-labeling, especially concerning food products harvested from forests. In this study, we employ discrete choice modeling to uncover consumers' preferences for "green" maple syrup-syrup made with sap tapped from sustainably managed forests-under four eco-labels: self-claimed, bird-friendly, verified by a voluntary conservation program, and certified by a third-party. Our findings reveal that the WTPs for "green" maple syrup under eco-labels are higher than that for organic maple syrup, except for the third-party certified label. One plausible explanation is that some consumers may perceive sustainability certification as greenwashing, leading them to be skeptical of the claimed benefits. |
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