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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of low calorie content in Japanese
consumers’ rice purchasing decisions. The Choice Modeling (Random Parameter Logit
Model) is used in order to quantify the welfare change associated with the change in the level
of low calorie content, local origin label, price attribute for the sample of Japanese consumers
in March 2009.
The consumer has a positive perception of local origin and rice cultivar label. Average
evaluation of the low calorie content attribute is negative (-116 yen/5kg). But, half of samples
have positive perception of low calorie content. Their willingness to pay for low-calorie
content attribute range from 800-900 yen/5kg.The results suggests that latent demand for low
calorie labelled rice exists on a limited scale.