Values and eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled products

The purpose of this article is to study whether preference for a product increased, or decreased, as a consequence of information that the product was either eco‐ or fair trade labelled. An additional purpose was to investigate associations between importance attached to values and preference for eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled food products.

Effects of information that orange juice was either eco‐ or fair trade labelled were studied in an experimental setting, with a sample of Swedish students. Importance attached to values was measured with the list of values (LOV) scale. Taste preference was the evaluated aspect.

No significant effects of the experimental manipulation were observed. Attaching greater importance to the value “warm relationships with others” was associated with a more favourable rating of the taste of both eco‐ and fair‐trade labelled juices. The value “security” was positively associated with an increased taste preference for the group exposed to the fair trade, but not the eco, label.

This paper provides knowledge about the characteristics of environmentally and ethically concerned consumers.