Aquaponics, an integrated system combining recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic plant production, has emerged as a promising sustainable food production method, offering reduced water use, nutrient recycling, and year-round production. This study investigates consumer preferences for aquaponic-grown lettuce and tilapia in the U.S. using a discrete choice experiment. An optimal orthogonal in difference design is used to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for production system, attributes, eco-labels, and origin. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of four information groups highlighting the benefits of aquaponic production: control (no information), societal benefits (resource efficiency), individual benefits (food safety/quality), or comprehensive (societal + individual) benefits.
Preliminary results from the control group pilot survey show distinct patterns across products. Price effects are negative and statistically significant across both products. For tilapia, consumers are willing to discount products from Central and South America relative to tilapia from the U.S. For lettuce, consumers are willing to pay more for USDA Organic and third-party eco-certifications, whereas they discounted hydroponics production relative to conventional production for lettuce. Respondents’ attitudes towards health were not significant, but their attitudes towards the environment negatively affected their willingness to pay for both lettuce and tilapia. These results suggest an attitude behavior gap in sustainable food choices.
By analyzing fish and vegetables jointly, this study extends prior research on willingness to pay for aquaponic production beyond a single product focus. The findings indicate that health and environmental attitudes influence how consumers process information rather than directly determining their choices. Moreover, information treatments shift willingness to pay in different ways across products, underscoring the need for product-specific communication strategies.