Consumer stated preferences for dairy products with carbon footprint labels in Italy

Maurizio Canavari,Silvia Coderoni

doi:10.1186/s40100-019-0149-1

Maurizio Canavari, Silvia Coderoni

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-019-0149-1

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Abstract

Carbon footprint (CF) labels on agri-food products represent one of the most important tools to convey information to consumers about the greenhouse gases emissions associated with their purchase behaviour.Together with the growing interest of consumers in CF labels, the subject has gained attention also in the scientific literature, and formal evaluations of consumer response to carbon labelling have been published. Studies in this area aim at analysing consumers’ preferences for buying products with a lower CF label or their willingness to pay (WTP) for these products.The objective of this paper is twofold. First, the study proposes a review of the literature that so far has analysed consumer WTP for CF label, focusing on Italian consumers. Second, it uses the results of two surveys of consumers’ attitudes towards dairy products with a lower CF label to analyse the factors determining a positive stated WTP. Results point out that a positive WTP for lower CF products is more likely to be declared by respondents who believe that buying products with less environmental impact can combat climate change. Conversely, highly price-sensitive consumers are less likely to be willing to pay more for CF-labelled products.

Highlights

Climate change mitigation is one of the key environmental goals of agricultural production worldwide (Gerber et al 2013)
Demand-side solutions to climate change, which consist of more sustainable consumption patterns, are becoming important tools to curb agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions (Garnett 2011; Bajželj et al 2014; Armel et al 2011; Brunelle et al 2017; Creutzig et al 2016; de Boer et al 2016)
As regards survey A, interestingly, almost all the respondents declare to know the climate change phenomenon, are interested in it and think that the consumption of products with an environmental label helps contrasting climate change. This survey reported a set of questions on which tools could be used to promote the knowledge and dissemination of Carbon footprint (CF) labels and the web instruments and education were judged the most important, followed by campaigns, advertising, the label itself and newspapers

Summary

Introduction

Climate change mitigation is one of the key environmental goals of agricultural production worldwide (Gerber et al 2013). In Europe, climate change mitigation objectives and the contribution that agriculture is expected to provide have reached the top of the political agenda (European Commission 2016). According to many studies in this field, supply-side options alone, i.e. options that tackle production aspects of GHG mitigation, are not sufficient to reach the ambitious mitigation targets set by European and international climate policy agenda. Canavari and Coderoni Agricultural and Food Economics (European Commission 2011, 2016). Demand-side solutions to climate change, which consist of more sustainable consumption patterns, are becoming important tools to curb agricultural GHG emissions (Garnett 2011; Bajželj et al 2014; Armel et al 2011; Brunelle et al 2017; Creutzig et al 2016; de Boer et al 2016)

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