An actual purchasing experiment for investigating the effects of eco-information on consumers’ environmental consciousness and attitudes towards agricultural products

This study investigates the effects of eco-information on the environmental consciousness and attitudes of consumers towards agricultural products. We focus on Japanese rice to provide recommendations to protect the Ibis, an endangered bird in Japan, and evaluate how Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior (ECCB) affect consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) via the choice experiment method. Participants are provided with the necessary eco-information pertaining to rice production, and are required to taste and purchase the rice. The results indicate that consumers with high ECCB display higher WTP after they are provided with the necessary eco-information pertaining to rice production.