Date of Graduation

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

Advisor/Mentor

Durand-Morat, Alvaro

Committee Member

Nalley, Lawton L.

Second Committee Member

Mandiaye, Diagne

Keywords

Consumer preferences; Ghana; Rice; Sustainability; Willingness to Pay

Abstract

Sustainable agricultural production is a systematic concept that integrates environmental health, economic profitability, and social/economic equity goals. Improving the sustainability of food production is of utmost importance to the human race, given the growing population and the increased depletion of natural resources. Improving sustainability is particularly important for rice, a global food staple with a significant environmental footprint. Rice accounts for 10% of global methane emissions. The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard is the first globally recognized certified sustainable production standard for rice. This study focuses on consumers' preferences for sustainable rice in Ghana, including consumers’ perceptions of different SRP's sustainability themes and their willingness to pay for sustainable rice produced following the SRP standard. A total of 1,168 consumer surveys were administered in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, the three largest cities in Ghana. The Best Worse Scaling Method was employed to rank the preferences of participants for each of the SRP sustainability themes. A double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method was used to elicit consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for SRP-certified sustainable rice. The results indicate that consumers’ preferences for SRP themes and WTP for sustainably-produced rice are heterogeneous across locations. The results can be used for the development of policy and marketing strategies aimed at improving the marketability of sustainable rice in Ghana.

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