Why should we protect the interests of "green food" certified product growers? Evidence from kiwifruit production in China

Abstract

Governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have promoted environmental and social certification programs for growers because the market for green certification is seen as offering higher prices and higher incomes. Previous studies have examined how "green food" certification affects economic and environmental benefits, but none have studied its impact on production behavior. In this study we conducted a household survey of 398 randomly selected growers of traditional and green food certified kiwifruit in Xixia county of Henan province, China. The results show that characteristically, green food certified growers can have a significantly higher total cost as well as employed cost compared to the matched noncertified growers. Based on the results, we conclude the potential advantages of green food certified kiwifruit products and basic conditions for its sustainable development.