Investigating the Factors Affecting Consumers’ Preferences for Saffron with organic, natural and safe Labels

Saffron as a valuable medicinal plant has a great importance in Iran. The global tendency of consumers toward sustainable products has led to produce saffron with organic, natural and safe labels. Developing of saffron production with organic, natural and safe labels requires the recognition of consumers’ awareness and their behavior (preferences) towards these labels. Therefore, this study tries to study the factors affecting the consumers’ preferences for saffron with the mentioned labels by clustering consumers based on awareness indicators about these labels. For this purpose, K-mean clustering algorithm and Ordered Logit model and the data collected through interviews with 144 visitors of Mashhad exhibition of safe and organic products in 2019 were used. The results revealed that the consumers could be classified into two clusters of aware and unaware regarding labels of organic, natural and safe based on the four indicator related to awarness. The Ordered Logit model estimates showed that the increase in education level, monthly household income and positive attitude to nutritional value of labeled saffron will increase the probability of placing consumers in the group with the preference of consuming organic labeled saffron compared to the two groups preferring to consume saffron with organic label in both clusters. According to the findings, it is suggested that in the regions where families with higher incomes live, the supply of organic saffron, and the number of stores supplying organic products in general will be increased.