Influence of consumers’ socioecological and economic orientations on preferences for wood products with sustainability labels Ralf Hansmann * , Thomas Koellner, Roland W. Scholz Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zu ¨rich), Institute for Human-Environment Systems (HES), Chair of Environmental Sciences: Natural and Social Science Interface (NSSI), Haldenbachstrasse 44, ETH Zentrum HAD, CH-8092 Zu ¨rich, Switzerland Received 29 October 2003; received in revised form 4 June 2004; accepted 27 June 2004 Abstract A questionnaire was developed to assess people’s sustainability orientation concerning forests considering the ecological, social, and economical dimension and to assess their knowledge of labels for sustainable forestry (SF). The questionnaire items were used to analyze the relationship between the individual sustainability orientation of a person and the knowledge of sustainability labels and the attention to and preference for labeled wood products. An experimental design embedded in the survey showed that the communication of corresponding label information enhances (stated intentions concerning) attention to and preference for labeled products in a prospective purchasing situation. Moreover, results showed that a sustainability orientation favoring ecological and social aspects, as compared to economical aspects of forestry, correlates positively with the stated intentions in favor of the purchasing of labeled wood products. The positive correlation of these intentions with the a priori knowledge of the participants was only marginally significant. The results indicate that it is possible to successfully promote SF and to enhance the demand for correspondingly certified products through marketing and other strategies. These might include the generation of innovative certification systems in a transdisciplinary, participatory process. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Sustainable forest management; Certification; Sustainable forestry; Wood labels; Sustainability; Communication 1. Introduction This article takes a Swiss perspective on certification criteria for the sustainability labeling of timber products, on the sustainability orientation of individuals, their knowledge about sustainable forestry (SF) labels and their purchasing intentions considering these labels. Conclusions for the 1389-9341/$ - see front matter D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2004.06.005 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +41 1 632 6316; fax: +41 1 632 1029. E-mail addresses: hansmann@env.ethz.ch (R. Hansmann)8 thomas.koellner@env.ethz.ch (T. Koellner)8 scholz@env.ethz.ch (R.W. Scholz). Forest Policy and Economics 8 (2006) 239 – 250 www.elsevier.com/locate/forpol