Label local et labels durables : sources de confusion des consommateurs ? Une étude appliquée à la région Sud

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of introducing a local label on consumers' preferences for sustainable labels. The recent literature shows the interest of firms and consumers for labeling schemes. This success is a proof of the increasing sensitivity of consumers to the sustainable market. The other side of the coin is the proliferation of labels which generates confusion in consumers’ choices and leads to mistrust, reducing the visibility of the quality that labels have to guarantee. Labeling has to be like a milestone that guide consumers’ in their choices, but the multiplication of labels erases this role. Nevertheless, labeling remains one of the main policy tools for sustainable development, especially in the agri-food sector, so it is necessary to remain cautious with new labeling project. Using data from a survey of more than 900 seafood consumers in the Region Sud, we analyze their preferences between a local label, a health label, an eco-label, and a fair-trade label, using a ranking method. The aim is to understand how the new regional seafood certificate created by the Region Sud might exacerbate consumers' difficulties in correctly distinguishing between the different labels. Using a rank-ordered model, we show that the "health" label, which remains the preferred label for a large proportion of consumers, is clearly distinguishable from the other three labels. On the other hand, the presence of a local label creates some confusion among consumers with respect to the eco-label and the fair trade label, which it tends to replace. We conclude that the introduction of this new label promoting regional fishing will create more confusion.