Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Consumer’s willingness to pay for healthier parboiled rice in Africa: An homegrown experimental action approach

¹Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Agrifood and Natural Resource Economics, Spain
²Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), Côte d'Ivoire
³Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Agrifood and Natural Resource Economics

Abstract

In the recent decade, the rapid urbanisation of African cities have been accompanied by nutritional transitions as a result of changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns. These changes greatly influence consumer’s food preferences and purchasing decisions and, thus, potentially the development of obesity and other related non communicable diseases which are increasingly becoming the main cause of mortality. Ensuring healthy diet consumption is important not only for decreasing risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and improving general health but also for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to no hunger, good health and well-being. In the rice sector, these changes have led to the consumption of highly processed products. However, the negative impact associated with the consumption of highly processed rice products of questionable safety and quality value is adding to the public health burden of non-communicable diseases. Thus, understanding consumer’s food preferences to promote healthy food choices that meet populations’ needs becomes essential to fight against the triple burden of malnutrition in Sub-Sahara Africa. This study aims to investigate consumers’ willingness to pay for a healthier and novel rice variety (Orylux 6 rice) with a positive nutritional property such as ultra-low glycaemic index (GI=22) in the urban city of Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire. To achieve this objective, a homegrown experimental action was conducted with 231 household consumers. We used a BDM approach and a participation fee of 3000Fcfa. The results indicate that household’s heads are willing to pay a higher price for parboiled Orylux 6 and non-parboiled Orylux rice than another aromatized rice variety.

Keywords: Bdm, Cote d’Iviore , homegrown auction, rice, willingness to pay

Contact Address: Kamga Boubda Armel Rodrigue, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Agrifood and Natural Resource Economics, Calle de pablo iglesias, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain, e-mail: arkamgacita-aragon.es