에코라벨 인증 수산물에 대한 소비자 지불의사금액 추정

Abstract

There has been growing huge interests in eco-labeled fish products produced by sustainable production methods that can protect fish stocks and marine ecosystems around the world. Consumers can drive producers to sustainable production methods by purchasing the eco-labeled fish products. Successful introduction of the eco-label certification should be based on consumers’ understanding of the certification and willingness to pay (WTP) for price premium. This study aimed to estimate consumers’ awareness and WTP more for the eco-labeled fish products in South Korea. In the analysis, first, this study performed both face-to-face and online surveys on consumers’ WTP for the eco-labeled fish products. A total of 450 consumer surveys were conducted and 421 observations were finally used in the analysis. Second, the tobit model was carried out to estimate the influence of demographic and other factors on WTP. Finally, this study conducted statistical tests to compare WTP differences according to factors. Analytical results showed that the average WTP of consumers who were willing to pay more was estimated to be 10.45%. It also indicated that female, older, and single consumers would be willing to pay more for the eco-labeled fish products. However, age, education level, and income had no significant impacts on WTP. The findings of this study could be used as important information when developing the eco-label certification systems and securing the eco-labeled fish products in South Korea.