Consumers’ acceptance and valuation of healthier rice
- 2025
- Aug 21
- 1 min read
Implications for promoting healthy diets in the Philippines
by Marie Claire Custodio, Jhoanne Ynion, Matty Demont, Hans De Steur
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze and compare consumers’ acceptance and valuation of brown, colored and low glycemic index rice and identify the factors that influence their willingness to pay (WTP).
Design/methodology/approach
A stated-preference survey was conducted among 600 middle-class urban consumers in the Philippines, using a contingent valuation approach with a between-subjects design. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression.
Findings
Consumers accepted healthier rice types, but they discounted them relative to premium white rice, despite receiving product-specific information on health benefits. Consumers’ household income, attitude toward healthy eating and their diet quality had significant effects on WTP. Snack occasions could serve as entry points for healthier rice rather than targeting the substitution of white rice during main eating occasions. Generic information on nutritional benefits of healthier rice products was insufficient to nudge consumers’ intentions toward integrating these products into their diets.
