Ocean Acidification, Consumers' Preferences, and Market Adaptation Strategies in the Mussel Aquaculture Industry

Roberto Ponce Oliva (), Felipe Vasquez-Lavín, Valeska A. San Martin, Jose Ignacio Hernández, Cristian A. Vargas, Pablo S. Gonzalez and Stefan Gelcich
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Felipe Antonio Vásquez Lavín

Ecological Economics, 2019, vol. 158, issue C, 42-50

Abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) is one of the largest emerging and significant environmental threats for the aquaculture industry, jeopardizing its role as an alternative for supporting food security. Moreover, market conditions, characterized by price volatility and low value-added products, could exacerbate the industry's vulnerability to OA. We use a literature review on the biological consequences of OA over marine commercial species attributes to inform the empirical assessment of consumers' preferences for those attributes affected by OA, and consumers' responses to a set of market adaptation strategies suggested by the industry. We found that OA will have a negative impact on consumers' welfare due to the effects on commercial attributes of mussels aquaculture products. However, the main concerns for the industry are the market conditions. Thus, the industry's current adaptation strategies are focused on increasing their market share by offering new product assortments (with more value-added), regardless of the effect of OA on consumers' welfare. Despite this fact, the industry's strategies could eventually contribute to cope with OA since some specific segments of the market are willing to pay for new product assortments. This new market composition highlights the role of public institutions' reputation in issues related to food safety.

Keywords: Ocean acidification; Economic impacts; Aquaculture; Choice experiment; Industry adaptation strategies; Consumers' welfare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:158:y:2019:i:c:p:42-50

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.12.011

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