Sustainable consumption in Colombia

This paper presents evidence from a field experiment designed to encourage Colombian consumers to switch to sustainable (fruits and vegetables) alternatives in a supermarket. In eight supermarkets in Bogota, Colombia, we evaluated the impact on the likelihood of purchasing organic products of two treatments: a traditional monetary instrument (a price discount) and a behavioral cue (an information message). The treatment effects were evaluated by using scanner data from clients’ purchases. Results showed that both treatments had a positive effect on the likelihood of purchase, the effect was greater for clients that had previously purchased organic fruits and vegetables. Yet, the likelihood of clients to purchase decreased once the discount was removed. And, there were heterogeneous treatment effects for clients according to their marital status.