Consumers’ Preferences for Green Shoppers' Labels on Shade-Grown Coffee Products in Bangkok

Abstract

This research aims to assess the socioeconomic conditions of a consumer sample group, study the knowledge, opinions, and behavior of the sample group towards the characteristics of shade-grown coffee products with eco-friendly consumer labels, and analyze consumers' willingness to pay for these products. Data was collected from 300 coffee consumers aged 18–60 in Bangkok using a questionnaire and analyzed with a Choice Experiment model. The study finds that the majority of the sample are male, with a bachelor's degree or vocational certificate as their most common education level. The most prevalent occupation is a private company employee, and the average monthly income is between 15,001–30,000 Thai Baht. Most consumers drink coffee once a day on average and have a good level of knowledge and understanding of eco-labeled products. Although 62.1% of the sample have never purchased environmentally certified coffee products before, they show a tendency to be interested and are willing to pay higher prices. The characteristics that most influence their willingness to pay are the eco-friendly consumer label on shade-grown coffee products (236.94 Baht per 250g bag) and the organic agriculture standard label (101.85 Baht per 250g bag). The findings suggest that the government should promote and disseminate knowledge about labels and the benefits of shade-grown coffee. Furthermore, it should encourage producers to adopt labels that communicate environmental friendliness to drive sustainable consumption behavior in the long term.