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Consumer Preference for Sustainable Attributes in Plants: Evidence from Experimental Auctions

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  • Chengyan Yue
  • Ben Campbell
  • Charles Hall
  • Bridget Behe
  • Jennifer Dennis
  • Hayk Khachatryan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Experimental auctions were employed to investigate U.S. and Canadian consumers’ willingness to pay for sustainable attributes in plants. The results show consumers are willing to pay a price premium for energy and water savings in plant production of $0.15 and $0.12, respectively. Consumers are only willing to pay $0.08 more for sustainably labeled product. Latent class segmentation analysis identifies three distinct consumer segments: Import‐Liking, Mainstream, and Eco‐local. Mainstream Consumers were the largest segment and willing to pay only modest premiums for eco‐friendly attributes. Eco‐local consumers comprised 14% of consumers and they were willing to pay the highest amount for the improved production methods and container types, while having the highest willing to pay for local and domestic products. [EconLit citations: D44, M31].

Suggested Citation

  • Chengyan Yue & Ben Campbell & Charles Hall & Bridget Behe & Jennifer Dennis & Hayk Khachatryan, 2016. "Consumer Preference for Sustainable Attributes in Plants: Evidence from Experimental Auctions," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 222-235, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:agribz:v:32:y:2016:i:2:p:222-235
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/agr.21435
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    Cited by:

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    2. Marike Isaak & Wolfgang Lentz, 2020. "Consumer Preferences for Sustainability in Food and Non-Food Horticulture Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    3. Defrancesco, Edi & Perito, Maria Angela & Bozzolan, Irene & Cei, Leonardo & Stefani, Gianluca, 2017. "Consumers’ Preferences for Health Related and Environmental Friendly Food Attributes of Italian Pasta," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 2017(1), June.
    4. McKenzie Thomas & Kimberly L. Jensen & Dayton M. Lambert & Burton C. English & Christopher D. Clark & Forbes R. Walker, 2021. "Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Potting Mix with Biochar," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Xuan Wei & Hayk Khachatryan & Alan Hodges & Charlie Hall & Marco Palma & Ariana Torres & Robin Brumfield, 2023. "Exploring market choices in the US ornamental horticulture industry," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 65-109, January.
    6. De Francesco, Edi & Perito, Maria Angela & Bozzolan, Irene & Stefani, Gianluca & Cei, Leonardo Cei, 2017. "Consumers’ preferences for private health-related and public environmentally friendly food attributes: New insights from an ABR approach," 2017 Sixth AIEAA Conference, June 15-16, Piacenza, Italy 261258, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    7. Defrancesco, Edi & Perito, Maria Angela & Bozzolan, Irene & Cei, Leonardo & Stefani, Gianluca, 2017. "Consumers’ Preferences for Health Related and Environmental Friendly Food Attributes of Italian Pasta," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276913, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    8. Edi Defrancesco & Maria Angela Perito & Irene Bozzolan & Leonardo Cei & Gianluca Stefani, 2017. "Testing Consumers’ Preferences for Environmental Attributes of Pasta. Insights from an ABR Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-13, September.
    9. Rihn, Alicia & Wei, Xuan & Khachatryan, Hayk, 2019. "Text vs. logo: Does eco-label format influence consumers’ visual attention and willingness-to-pay for fruit plants? An experimental auction approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. Azucena Gracia & Ana María Sánchez & Francesc Jurado & Cristina Mallor, 2020. "Making Use of Sustainable Local Plant Genetic Resources: Would Consumers Support the Recovery of a Traditional Purple Carrot?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-17, August.

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