Author：Hsiu-E Chiang ^1,2, Cheng-Yen Tsai ¹, Ying-Chen Lin ¹, and Tsai-Ping Chang ¹

Abstract：

    Reducing emission of greenhouse gas is one of important tasks to slow down risk of global warming. Economic activities included producing and consuming can both affect greenhouse gas emission. For example, carbon emission of long distant transported goods will be higher than local products. According to above concept, buying local products can be helpful for reducing greenhouse gas emission. Farther, it is also useful for local industry development. In order to encourage consumers to buy local agricultural products, we followed the Taiwan CFP system (Carbon footprint of product) to start to establish the product categorization rules (PCR) of Taiwan rice. In 2012, we finished the carbon footprint inventory of wufeng aroma rice. The PCR data of rice can be base of feasibility study of promotion carbon footprint label of Taiwan agricultural product. The method of carbon footprint accounting is included collecting input data of energy or resources in 5 stages of product life. In 2012, we accounted 4.5 Kg carbon emission of producing 2Kg wufeng aroma rice. Furthermore, 2Kg packaged wufeng aroma rice also got carbon footprint label certification from Environmental Protection Administration Executive Yuan, ROC (Taiwan) in 2012. Otherwise, in study of consumer perception and acceptance of product carbon footprint label, we found the consumer’s cognition of carbon footprint label is still at a low level. Although many consumers considered that emerging realistic counting number of carbon emission is important to carbon footprint label, there is only 30% of survey participants willing to buy carbon footprint label products which price is not raised.

Keywords: Carbon footprint, Carbon footprint label, Assessment of product life, Consumer perception.

¹ Technical Service Division and Agricultural Economics Division, TARI, Taichung, Taiwan.
² Corresponding Author, Email: HEChiang@tari.gov.tw; Tel: 04-23317652.