Date of Graduation
5-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Food Science
Advisor/Mentor
Kemper, Nathan
Committee Member/Reader
Nayga, Rudy
Committee Member/Second Reader
Kovacs, Kent
Committee Member/Third Reader
Yang, Wei
Abstract
Global population growth and increased meat demand present challenges for the agricultural industry to produce meat sustainably. In-vitro meat (IVM) is an alternative that could reduce negative impacts associated with livestock production. The goal of this study was to examine consumers’ preferences for IVM. A choice experiment was created with twelve choice tasks that varied across five attributes: production method (IVM or conventional), carbon trust label, organic label, animal welfare label, and price. 1,120 US consumers were randomly assigned to one of four information treatments, differing by information presented regarding IVM: 1) neutral (baseline), 2) positive, 3) negative, and 4) combined. To test our hypotheses, differences in mean willingness to pay between treatments were estimated using a combinatorial approach. Results show that consumers prefer traditionally produced ground beef over IVM. In order to select IVM, subjects required large discounts ranging from $1.17 to $1.84 per lb. Negative information framing appears to be a more powerful tool, resulting in the largest required discount. However, positive information significantly reduced the discount required. Food retailers should expect to offer steep discounts to attract customers; however, presenting positive information about the benefits of IVM can reduce the discount substantially.
Keywords
in-vitromeat, willingness to pay, information framing effects
Citation
Blumenberg, A. (2022). Consumer Preferences for Lab Grown Meat: The Effect of Information on Consumer Choice. Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/fdscuht/13
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Agricultural Economics Commons, Biotechnology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Food Science Commons, Food Studies Commons