Business

International trade

Sample (material)

Fair trade

Advertising

Marketing

Psychology

Economics

Microeconomics

Chemistry

Willingness to pay

Chromatography

Journal of Consumer Affairs

Consumers’ buying behavior is not consistent with their positive attitude toward ethical products. In a survey of 808 Belgian respondents, the actual willingness to pay for fair‐trade coffee was measured. It was found that the average price premium that the consumers were willing to pay for a fair‐trade label was 10%. Ten percent of the sample was prepared to pay the current price premium of 27% in Belgium. Fair‐trade lovers (11%) were more idealistic, aged between 31 and 44 years and less “conventional.” Fair‐trade likers (40%) were more idealistic but sociodemographically not significantly different from the average consumer.

Do Consumers Care about Ethics? Willingness to Pay for Fair‐Trade Coffee