An economic analysis on the whole and interactions between actors in food supply chain of seafood ecolabel

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06250
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 41010:Agricultural and food economics-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Oishi Taro 東京海洋大学, 学術研究院, 准教授 (80565424)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岩田 裕樹 広島修道大学, 人間環境学部, 教授 (90511692) ; 嶋田 大作 龍谷大学, 農学部, 准教授 (40527876)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 水産物エコラベル / フードチェーン / 支払意思額 / 価格プレミアム / 社会的責任消費

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study analyzed the Japanese seafood ecolabelling with a focus on the interactions between actors in the food chain and the whole. The Analysis between fishers and distributors indicated that fisheries certification for MSC and foreign CoC certification for MEL were bottlenecks for Japan’s seafood exports. Analysis between distributors and consumers showed that Japanese consumers have a positive WTP for seafood eco-labelling, but no significant price premium was found in retail stores, suggesting that retailers adopt a non-price strategy. The analysis of the entire food chain showed that, in addition to fishermen, public authorities also bear the costs and efforts for collecting and maintaining stock assessment information, and that this aspect needs to be taken into account when assessing the effectiveness of eco-labelling.

Free Research Field

環境政策論、水産経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果の学術的意義は、これまでフードチェーンを構成する各主体に対して個別的な分析がなされてきた水産物エコラベルの研究において、個別レベルでの最適な制度設計が必ずしも全体として最適にならない点に着目し、各主体間の相互作用の考慮と全体の俯瞰に基づく分析を行った点である。本研究の社会的意義は、連鎖の結合部が機能しないことや外部費用の存在によってフードチェーン全体が機能不全に陥ってしまうことを防ぐための政策的視座を具体的に示したことであり、水産物エコラベル以外にも、森林のFSC認証制度や農産物の有機JAS認証制度を始め様々な環境認証制度への応用が期待される。