Japanese consumer's visual marketing preferences and willingness to pay for rice produced by biodiversity-friendly farming

Abstract

A market-based approach for biodiversity conservation can promote sustainable food production, but little is known about how consumers perceive rice and organisms conserved through biodiversity-friendly farming (BFF). To address this gap, we conducted a web survey of 600 Japanese respondents to investigate their visual preferences for 20 photographs of organisms and landscapes found in paddy field areas and their willingness to pay (WTP) for BFF rice. Our results showed that paddy field landscapes were most preferred, followed by plants and birds, while insects and an endangered frog were the least preferred. Lowland flat and mountainous terraced paddy landscapes were most often selected as package photographs for BFF rice. Most respondents were willing to pay a premium of 0%–30% for BFF rice. Interest in biodiversity conservation was a common respondent characteristic, and it had a relatively strong influence on image preferences and WTP. Presence of children in certain age groups, sex, age, and experience with living near farmlands or conservation activities also affected the image preference or WTP answers, but to a lesser extent. These findings reveal consumer perceptions of BFF and the importance of effective eco-labeling strategies for communicating conservation activities and improving promotion of sales to consumers.