Conference Agenda

Discrete choice experiments are central to environmental valuation, yet results are often treated as comparable across studies even when the choice task format differs. This paper argues that format is not a neutral wrapper: it can shape how respondents process information, how much effort they devote to the task, and how they simplify complex trade-offs. As a result, the same environmental change can lead to different inferred values and policy rankings simply because the decision is presented differently. To address this, we introduce a simulation-based benchmark test that provides a general and transparent way to detect format effects. Instead of focusing on whether estimated coefficients differ across formats, the test evaluates whether formats lead to systematically different chosen attribute levels and implied welfare outcomes. The method constructs a counterfactual benchmark in which preferences are stable and any observed differences should arise only from sampling variation, stochastic choice, and potential scale differences. By repeatedly simulating data under this stability assumption and re-estimating models by format, we obtain a reference distribution for how large format differences would be “by chance.” If the observed shifts in chosen attribute levels exceed this benchmark, we interpret this as evidence that the choice task format substantively affects valuation.

Geographical Indication (GI) certification offers social, environmental, and economic benefits, yet little research has addressed the complex drivers behind consumers' preferences for such products, holistically. This study integrates four behavioural theories into a multidimensional model to explore the complex nature of consumers' purchase behaviour, going beyond what any unidimensional, single-theory approaches could typically capture. Proposed model is constructed with seven predictors that are representatives of cognitive components (perception, beliefs, knowledge, perceived value), affective (attitude), normative belief (subjective norms), and control belief (perceived behavioural control) and was validated through structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using a representative sample of 2,005 consumers in Catalunya, Spain. The integrated model explained 62.60% of the cumulative variance in purchase intention, confirming its superior explanatory adequacy. It also outperformed four original behavioural models in predictive accuracy by using in-sample and out-of-sample prediction metrics. By integrating cognitive, affective, normative, and control belief components, this model offers a novel perspective on the complex nature of consumer behaviour. Besides, it reflects on the distinctive roles, interconnectedness, and varied effects of socio-psychological attributes where consumers' perception, beliefs, knowledge, perceived value, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all have significant positive effects on their purchase intention for GI-certified agri-food products. The multi-dimensional model also demonstrates innovative use of advanced PLS-SEM techniques for developing and validating new theoretical models and denotes practical implications for consumer behaviour modelling, policy design, and marketing strategy for GI-certified agri-foods.

In rapidly growing emerging economies, the nutritional transition towards sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) poses a severe threat to the human capital and long-term health of children and adolescents. However, information frictions and limited nutritional literacy often prevent individuals from internalizing these health costs. We conduct a discrete choice experiment (DCE) involving 1,269 students in Henan province, central China, to evaluate an information intervention designed to nudge children and adolescents away from SSBs. The treatment group received targeted training on decoding nutritional labels and understanding SSB-related health risks, while the control group watched a placebo video on vision protection. We find that the intervention significantly reduces the demand for SSBs, decreasing the probability of choosing an SSB by 21.5 percentage points. Exploring the underlying micro-mechanisms, we demonstrate that the intervention successfully updates students' beliefs regarding nutritional content, leading to a significant reduction in their marginal willingness to pay (WTP) for the sugar attribute by 0.409 RMB per bottle. Crucially, comparing stated preferences with incentivized real choices post-intervention reveals no significant hypothetical bias, validating the robustness of our behavioral measurements. These findings highlight that empowering children and adolescents through nutritional literacy is a highly effective, low-cost policy tool to bridge information gaps and foster healthier consumption behaviors in developing contexts.

Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a major contributor to chronic diseases. However, the effectiveness of different sugar label formats in shaping consumer preferences for sugar-free beverages remains poorly understood. Drawing on data from online surveys and laboratory experiments, this study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of four label formats (Nutrition Facts Panels, Nutrition Claim Labels, Traffic-Light Labels, and Warning Labels) on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sugar-free beverages by employing a between-subjects experimental design combined with choice experiments. By integrating eye-tracking metrics and decision-making time in choice tasks, the study elucidates the mechanisms through which sugar labels influence consumer preferences at both physiological and behavioral levels. The results indicate that warning labels exert the strongest positive effect on WTP, followed by nutrition claim labels and traffic-light labels, whereas nutrition facts panels have no significant effect. Further analysis shows that a lower information cost associated with a label format corresponds to higher WTP, with warning labels exhibiting the lowest information cost and nutrition facts panels the highest. By incorporating objective measures such as eye-tracking and decision time, this study provides robust empirical evidence to guide the optimization of sugar label design and inform evidence-based sugar-reduction policies.

Food safety concerns and information asymmetry continue to erode consumer confidence in agri-food markets, especially in developing and transition economies. Traceability systems are widely promoted as a solution because they enhance accountability and deter fraud, but they also raise supply-chain costs and consumer prices. This study estimates consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for QR-code traceability for premium imported fruits in Ho Chi Minh City using incentive-compatible experimental auctions. We conducted 18 auction sessions in January 2026, auctioning Australian cherries, New Zealand cherries, and Australian nectarines. Traceability was introduced only for Australian fruits in treatment sessions, while New Zealand cherries never carried traceability, allowing both between-subject and within-subject identification. Mean bids show positive premiums for traceability for both cherries and nectarines. Regression results confirm that traceability significantly increases bids after controlling for session timing and participant characteristics. However, WTP estimates vary by identification strategy: within-subject and fixed-effects difference-in-differences estimates for cherries are smaller than between-subject estimates, suggesting upward bias in between-subject designs due to unobserved individual heterogeneity. We therefore recommend, when feasible, within-subject designs with an appropriate comparison product for more accurate valuation of traceability and other credence attributes.