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Consumer Perceptions of Eco-friendly and Sustainable Terms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Benjamin Campbell ,
Hayk Khachatryan ,
Bridget Behe ,
Jennifer Dennis  and
Charles Hall
Benjamin Campbell*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of Connecticut
Hayk Khachatryan
Affiliation:
Department of Food and Resource Economics at Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida
Bridget Behe
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University
Jennifer Dennis
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University
Charles Hall
Affiliation:
Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University
*
Correspondence: University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics ▪ 1376 Storrs Road, Unit 4021 ▪ Storrs, CT 06269 ▪ Phone 860.486.1925 ▪ Email ben.campbell@uconn.edu.
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Abstract

Common marketing strategies include emphasizing products’ “green” or environmentally friendly attributes and characteristics to appeal to a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers. While previous studies have used product labels such as “eco-friendly,” “environmentally friendly,” and “sustainable” to investigate consumer preferences, relatively little is known about how consumer perceptions as a pre-decision mechanism impact their preferences and choice behaviors. Using data collected through an online survey of U.S. and Canadian consumers, we investigate systematic differences in individuals’ perceptions of the terms “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” Marketing implications for the food and green (i.e., greenhouse/nursery producers, suppliers, and retailers) industries are discussed.

Keywords

choice behaviorenvironmental attributeslabelsperceptionssurvey
Type
Research Article
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 44 , Issue 1 , April 2015 , pp. 21 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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