The impact of origin and safety attributes on Vietnamese consumers' preferences for organic oranges : a choice experiment approach

The objective of the research is to examine the effects of product attributes on consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for organic oranges in the Mekong Delta and estimate the consumers' WTP for each attribute. The study used survey data from 413 households in the Mekong Delta from March 2022 to July 2022. The choice experiment method (CE) was employed to analyze consumers' willingness to pay. The results show that the factors that positively influence consumers' level of WTP for organic oranges include organic material, the label of organic certification, product traceability, eco-label, and quality grade. In addition, the price has a negative influence on consumers' WTP. Besides, consumers prefer imported fruits over domestically grown fruits. By leveraging the discrete choice theory and the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model, the study developed a theoretical model about the effects of product attributes on consumers' WTP for organic oranges in a transition economy. Additionally, our study also affirms that the SOR model serves as a useful structure to describe the process that leads to the final purchase decision. In the case of organic fruit buying behavior, the research focuses on how different stimuli, such as price and quality attributes, affect the activation and cognitive processes in the "black box" of consumers and ultimately lead to a particular product choice.