How do rice consumers trade off sustainability and health labels? Evidence from Vietnam

Cuong, O.Q., Connor, M., Demont, M., Sander, B.O. and Nelson, K. 2022. How do rice con-sumers trade off sustainability and health labels? Evidence from Vietnam. Frontiers in Sus-tainable Food Systems 6:1010161.

Strategies for increasing rice production in the Asian Mega-Deltas have led to environmental degradation, resource overexploitation, and high greenhouse gas emissions. Certified sustainable production labels can support governments in their efforts to render rice value chains more sustainable by simultaneously fostering planetary and human health. Little is known, however, about how consumers trade off sustainability and health attributes in staple crops such as rice. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating Vietnamese consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for rice characterized by multi-attribute sustainability and health certification labels. The results showed that consumers were willing to pay a price premium for all certification labels, with the highest marginal utility assigned to low glycemic index rice.