Consumer Evaluation of Agricultural Products Produced in Areas Affected by Natural Disasters: A Case Study of Damaged Apples in Japan

Abstract

This study examines how consumers perceive agricultural products affected by natural disasters, using apples in Japan as a case study. Typhoons and other natural disasters frequently damage the surface of apples during the production season, causing significant harm to farmers’ businesses, particularly when a large typhoon hits the production area. To maintain the sustainability of agricultural production, consumers need to purchase damaged crops at a certain price. To assess the effect of product attributes, such as appearance and price, and personal attributes of respondents, we conducted a choice-based conjoint analysis using a mixed logit model. The estimated results using the main effect and cross-section models show that consumers generally devalue apples when they have scratches. However, by using consumer co-operatives on a daily basis and disseminating simple information about the relationship between scratches and natural disasters, we could mitigate this devaluation tendency and thus contribute to sustainable agricultural production.

A Further Step toward Sustainable Development: The Case of the Edible Mushroom Supply Chain

“…Hence, the presence of certifications, especially for cultivated mushrooms, could help to provide safer products to consumers and limit their fear of poisoning. Another strategy could be the creation of consumer cooperatives (co-ops) that provide education and direct services to consumers, granting them daily access to production information [ 61 ]. Furthermore, the growing relevance of online sales, especially those of highly processed “innovative” food products, has brought to light the potential of this new sales channel, which could provide a space for innovative products that are still struggling to gain a foothold in the market.…”