Diogo Veríssimo

Using marketing theory and tools to advance biodiversity conservation

  • Outreach
  • Projects
  • In the media
  • Publications
  • CV
  • About me
  • Contact me

What makes orchid buyers tick?

21/06/2015

A new paper lead by Amy Hinsley and co-authored by me and David Roberts talks about how rarity is a key driver of preference for those that are serious about their orchids.  Orchids are one of the best-selling plants in the legal horticultural trade but are also traded illegally and make up 70% of all species listed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

We use choiceIMG_20150524_160625570 a technique called choice experiments to survey 522 orchid buyers online and at large international orchid shows. We show that different groups of consumers have distinct preferences, and that these groups are based on gender, orchid type grown, online purchasing and type of grower. Over half of our sample, likely to be buyers of mass-produced orchids, prefer white, multi-flowered plants. Of greater conservation interest were a smaller group consisting of male hobbyist growers who buy their orchids online, and who were willing to pay significantly more for species that are rare in trade.

This is the first in-depth study of consumer preferences in the international orchid trade and our findings confirm the importance of rarity as a driver of hobbyist trade. We show that market-research methods are a new tool for conservationists that could provide evidence for more effective conservation of species threatened by trade, especially via campaigns that focus on demand reduction or behaviour change.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Publications Tagged: Asia, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Science, choice experiments, Conservation, demand, Diogo Verissimo, Marketing, Orchid, plant, trade, Wildlife
← Research makes the Maltese TV
Understanding what matters for local communities is key to conserving tigers →

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts

Join 125 other subscribers
Tweets by @verissimodiogo

Copyright © 2023 Diogo Veríssimo.

Me WordPress Theme by themehall.com

%d bloggers like this: