Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one of the widely used direct marketing strategies for small-and midsized farmers. CSA programs are an important option for sustainable production and consumption. It helps growers generate income (improve financial security) and consumers obtain fresh local foods. Sustaining and growing CSA participation is critical in order to continue enjoying these benefits. We used a national online survey in conjunction with discrete choice models to investigate the impact of demographic characteristics, lifestyle preferences, and different information outlets on the probability that a consumer is or will become a CSA member. The results indicate that the factors affecting current and future CSA participation differ substantially. While none of the demographic characteristics has a significant impact on current CSA participation, some of them significantly affect the probability that a consumer will become a CSA member in the future. Lifestyle preferences have a significant impact on current and future CSA participation. Although none of the information outlets examined affect current CSA participation, word-of-mouth and online sources significantly influence the probability that a consumer will join a CSA program in the future. These findings may have important implications for policy makers' and CSA farm managers' efforts to sustain future CSA development.
Growers’ preferences for a number of marketing contract attributes, as well as the effect of growers’ risk aversion levels on the choice of marketing contracts, were examined with the use of a choice experiment. The main data source for the study is a mail survey administrated to wholesale tomato growers. The findings validate the transaction cost hypothesis and indicate heterogeneity in preferences. On the other hand, risk preferences had limited impact on contract choice.
efore COVID-19, livestock producers across the U.S. had been complaining to Congress about a lack of meat processing options closer to their farms (Swanson, 2015). Publications used examples of farmers shipping their animals hundreds of miles to be processed (Miles, 2012) and placed the blame on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and industry regulations (Linnekin, 2016). Others have warned that decades of consolidation of meat-processing facilities have left fewer reliable options for livestock farmers, threatening the farm-to-table economy (Shanker, 2017). The COVID-19 pandemic amplified these issues starting in April 2020, when U.S. meat packers shut down or scaled back operations to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among their workers. The resulting B
With the seafood food market endowed with various attributes, consumers may prefer certain certifications over others. By surveying a diverse sample of respondents, this study examines consumer preference for farm-raised shrimp in Kentucky and South Carolina. Respondents’ assessment of certain seafood labels is evaluated using a stated preference survey. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates and various product profiles are generated. Consistent with previous studies, a strong preference for fresh and “local” was found. Furthermore, Homegrown by Heroes was highly valued among participants, as well as Best Aquaculture Practices. Based on WTP estimates for these attributes, marketing and policy recommendations are discussed.
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