High-profile outbreaks in the U.S. have been increasingly linked to the consumption of leafy greens (Xue et al. 2007), making traceability an important issue (Corkery and Popper 2018). Consumers' increasing attention to traceability (Hansstein 2014) has led to the implementation of blockchain-based traceability systems. This study measures U.S. consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for blockchain-based traceability information in packages of romaine lettuce and spinach. We conduct two online Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) and surveys to understand consumer preferences for USDA-certified organic leafy greens, access to blockchain-based traceability information via QR codes, and the FDA's voluntary labeling guidelines involving growing region information. Our findings suggest that some U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium for food products with blockchain-based traceability or standard traceability information delivered via QR-codes. Findings also reflect some consumers' interest in organic products, and in knowing the detailed growing region information, particularly if leafy greens are grown in Arizona.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-6171 |
| Date | 06 August 2021 |
| Creators | Giri, Ajita |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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