How do consumers perceive open‐source seed licenses? Exploring a new credence attribute

Critical consumerism is the conscious choice of purchasing or avoiding products for ethical environmental reasons. As an increasing share consumer attempts to purchase sustainably produced food, credence attributes, which are product qualities that not easily observable verifiable during consumption, gain importance. Variety ownership has so far played any role in food consumption choices but a new type attribute may relevance through recent introduction open-source seed licenses. Such licenses aim safeguard agrobiodiversity, ensure long-term access plant genetic resources and counter current privatization trends industry. The labeling produce could help upscale concept enable consumers support safeguarding biodiversity their choices. However, as first varieties become available purchase, consumers’ perspectives on remain unclear. In this paper, we, hence, examine German perceptions analysis 228 thinking-aloud protocols, based qualitative data collected conventional organic supermarket Berlin, Germany, serves empirical basis. We find most have highly positive evaluation licenses, regardless whether they fully understand not. license widely perceived provide counter-model industrial seed- agricultural production. Specifically, it believed (1) prevent resources, (2) contribute conservation enhancement (3) (small-scale) farmers (4) market concentration. To what extent these coincide with personal preferences taste, health, safety quality remains be explored. specifically cater certain segments, including educated, young middle-aged, organically minded consumers.