Choice Experiment on Environmentally Friendly Rice in Shiga Prefecture

Abstract

Since 2001, Shiga prefecture has promoted environmentally friendly agricultural products through the “Kankyo Kodawari” certification. This certification can be divided conceptually into two parts: reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and preventing water degradation due to soil erosion from paddy fields. The former has both private and public benefits, while the latter has public benefits. We investigate the evaluation of environmentally friendly rice by residents through a choice experiment. We collected data through a mail survey with random sampling from the voters’ list. The results show that environmentally friendly rice is valued about 1,000 yen/5 kg higher than conventional rice; however, that value does not stem from preventing soil erosion alone. Rather, this premium is attributable to reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides.