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Consumer loyalty towards locally certified low-input farm products

Misa Aoki (Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan.)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 7 September 2015

893

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal how a loyalty program that provides economic rewards for locally produced low-input farm products influences the consumers’ behavior of repeated purchase by focussing on the consumers’ motivation and characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on data from a questionnaire survey and actual purchase data obtained from a practical study conducted in Japan. The data were analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

Consumers who gain economic rewards by purchasing locally produced low-input fresh food are not likely to purchase these products exclusively for the economic rewards of the program; rather, they do so to get safe and good quality food and to support local farmers and local farm conservation. The most remarkable finding is that the scheme that provides economic rewards makes such products more affordable for consumers from lower-income households.

Originality/value

This study is of academic value and of value to policy makers and practitioners in the local food supply chain. The study suggests that for increasing and stabilizing the demand for environment-friendly farm products, institutions for creating, designing, and supporting a new market for potential consumers are needed, together with suitable certification systems.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to the Higashiosaka Municipality and farming cooperatives for permitting interviews and collecting data. The author also acknowledges the funding support received from Sompo Japan Environment Foundation 2013.

Citation

Aoki, M. (2015), "Consumer loyalty towards locally certified low-input farm products", British Food Journal, Vol. 117 No. 9, pp. 2300-2312. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2014-0414

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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