Predictors of purchase of eco-labelled food products: A panel study

Importance attached to environmental consequences, and beliefs about characteristics of eco-labelled food products were examined as predictors of self-reported relative purchase frequency of eco-labelled alternatives. A panel study design with five questionnaires mailed over a period of 18 months was applied. Data were analysed by means of repeated measures analyses of variance and multiple regression analyses. A significant increase in purchase frequency of eco-labelled alternatives was observed during the first six month period. For consumers who initially reported that they never purchased eco-labelled alternatives, importance attached to environmental consequences worked as a predictor of an increased relative purchase frequency six months later. Among consumers who initially sometimes chose eco-labelled alternatives purchase frequency was however best predicted by beliefs about eco-labelled product characteristics such as taste and price.