Abstract
We conducted a labelled discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for fresh hens’ eggs produced via different production systems (caged, barn, free range, or organic). We estimated purchase intentions and WTP for different possible reductions (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use in the egg production systems. Data were collected using an online open-ended questionnaire completed by a representative sample of 1045 Spanish egg consumers. The results of a random parameter logit (RPL) model showed heterogeneous preferences for different types of eggs with higher marginal utility and WTP for a production system ensuring higher animal welfare level, such as free-range eggs. However, consumers showed a lower preference for organic eggs at the actual market prices since they were unwilling to pay for this category of eggs. Moreover, there were positive marginal WTPs for reductions in GHG emissions and water use, but only for significant reductions (20% or 30%) with respect to the current situation. Potential buyers for free-range eggs were identified to be persons under 40 years old, persons with a monthly income of more than €1500, and persons who were pro-environment. Our findings provide producers, sellers and policy makers with useful information that may guide them in the development of successful communication and pricing strategies.
Highlights
Consumers’ awareness about the impacts of conventional farming on human health, safety, animal welfare and the environment lead them to be increasingly diligent in researching these aspects as they pertain to their food choices [1,2]
In the European Union, eggs are labelled according to production system
Respondents were asked whether they know which code corresponds to each egg production system and the results showed that a fifth (21.05%) of respondents knew which egg production system corresponds to each code, while about a fifth (19.52%) of the sample answered incorrectly to this question
Summary
Consumers’ awareness about the impacts of conventional farming on human health, safety, animal welfare and the environment lead them to be increasingly diligent in researching these aspects as they pertain to their food choices [1,2]. According to authors Davies et al, [3] consumers of organic food can be classified in this way: environmentalists, healthy eaters, food phobics, welfare enthusiasts, humanists and hedonists. Because of these concerns, consumer demand for healthier, eco-friendly and more animal-welfarefriendly food products is continuously increasing [4,5,6,7,8]. Consumer demand for healthier, eco-friendly and more animal-welfarefriendly food products is continuously increasing [4,5,6,7,8] This increase in consumers’ awareness towards animal welfare has led the European Union (EU) to change its regulations related to animal welfare. This has prompted the policy makers to issue the Council Directive
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