Consumer's Attitudes and Willingness-to-Pay for Green Food in Beijing

Abstract

A survey in random-selected supermarkets in Beijing, the capital city of China, is reported to identify the attitudes and perceptions of consumers toward green-labeled milk, as well as their willingness to pay (WTP) for it, and to determine the factors that affect their WTP. The study reveals that the majority of households are quite familiar with green food and most of them take positive attitudes towards them, while with certain anxieties. Both remarkable preferences for location and branding in milk purchase and neglects for quality and safety are found in the consumers’ purchase pattern. The willingness to pay are concentrated in a range of 5 - 10 percent premium than ordinary milk, and age, the perception of green food and the access to information serve as the main factors influencing WTP value.