Reclaimed Water and Food Production: Cautionary Tales from Consumer Research
| Author(s) | Savchenko, Olesya M. | |
| Author(s) | Kecinski, Maik | |
| Author(s) | Li, Tongzhe | |
| Author(s) | Messer, Kent D. | |
| Date Accessioned | 2018-10-03T15:51:00Z | |
| Date Available | 2018-10-03T15:51:00Z | |
| Publication Date | 2018-09 | |
| Abstract | Reclaimed water has been identified as a viable and cost-effective solution to water shortages impacting agricultural production. However, lack of consumer acceptance for foods irrigated with reclaimed water remains one of the greatest hurdles for widespread farm-level adoption. Using survey data from 540 adults in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., this paper examines consumer preferences for six sources of reclaimed irrigation water and identifies statistically significant relationships between consumers’ demographic characteristics and their preferences for each type of reclaimed water. Key findings suggest that consumers prefer rain water to all other sources of reclaimed water. Women are less likely than men to prefer reclaimed irrigation water sources and are particularly concerned about the use of black and brackish water. Consumers who had heard about reclaimed water before are more likely to accept its use. Drawing on evidence from survey and experimental research, this paper also identifies disgust, neophobia and health concerns as the key issues that lead consumers to accept or reject foods produced with reclaimed water. Finally, we identify avenues for future research into public acceptance of reclaimed water based on our analysis and evidence from prior research. | en_US |
| Sponsor | Funding support for this research was provided by the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (grant number: 20166800725064), the USDA Economic Research Service, and the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR). The authors acknowledge the support of James Geisler, Julia Parker, Francesca Piccone, Kaitlynn Ritchie, Maddi Valinski, and Huidong Xu for their assistance administering the field experiment. | en_US |
| URL | http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/23868 | |
| Publisher | Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. | en_US |
| Part of Series | APEC Research Reports;RR18-08 | |
| Keywords | Water reuse | en_US |
| Keywords | Reclaimed water | en_US |
| Keywords | Consumer behavior | en_US |
| Keywords | Food labeling | en_US |
| Title | Reclaimed Water and Food Production: Cautionary Tales from Consumer Research | en_US |
| Type | Working Paper | en_US |
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