Consumer Behavior Towards Ethical Bananas in Japan

Abstract

Japan imported over 1 million tons of bananas in 2021, 76 % of which were from the Philippines. Meanwhile, in banana production fields including in the Philippines, there are problems such as unfair contracts between banana producers and companies and bad working conditions. Although consumers' interest in ethical consumption is growing in Japan, the market of ethical bananas, including bananas certified under the Fair Trade (FT), Rainforest Alliance (RA), and organic¹ standards that are the focus of the current study, is still small. Therefore, this study aimed to identify consumer behavior toward ethical bananas and the possibility of expanding the market for ethical bananas in Japan. An online questionnaire survey using Google Forms was conducted throughout August 2021, and 279 valid answers were obtained. Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis revealed that the respondents were segmented into three clusters, which are "quality-conscious", "ethical-possible, " and "unconcerned". In addition, Conjoint Analysis clarified that when the respondents purchased bananas, consumers attached the highest importance to the “price” attribute, followed by the "appearance, " "ethical", and "cultivation method" attributes. Furthermore, the perceived utility for consumers of RA and organic bananas was as high as that of non-ethical bananas, while that of FT bananas was low. As such, the results suggested that there is significant potential for an increase in the demand for organic and RA bananas, while the potential for an increase in demand for FT bananas is low. Meanwhile, the "ethical-possible" cluster, which accounted for over 50 % of the respondents, displayed the highest utility scores towards FT bananas among the three clusters. To expand the market for ethical bananas in Japan, the authors recommend increasing consumer recognition and comprehension of FT and issues in the banana production field and promoting the sale of RA and organic bananas in supermarkets.