Seeds of Industry Sustainability: Consumer Attitudes towards Indoor Agriculture Benefits versus Its Advanced Technology

Joseph Seong (), Simone Valle de Souza and H. Christopher Peterson
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Joseph Seong: Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Simone Valle de Souza: Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
H. Christopher Peterson: Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: Indoor agriculture (IA) mitigates, to some extent, global problems such as increasing demand for food and limited natural resources. Though the potential benefits of IA as a sustainable agricultural production method are widely discussed, the success of the industry depends on consumer acceptance of IA innovative technology and their willingness to consume leafy greens produced under this technology. Using cluster analysis, four distinct groups of U.S. leafy green consumers were identified: “IA Skeptics”, “IA Open”, “IA Supportive”, and “IA Engaged”. A strong positive consumer cluster emerged with no evidence of an existing cluster of consumers who could be referred as “Knowledgeable Rejectors”, often found from the studies of consumer acceptance for novel food technologies. We concluded that, overall, U.S. leafy green consumers are ready to accept IA produce, but a significant number of consumers are yet to clearly decide on their attitude towards IA technology. Based on the evidence found from this study, we identified market opportunities for the IA industry with consumers of leafy greens given their broad willingness to consume IA produce and suggest marketing strategies to expand consumer awareness and acceptance of IA produce.

Keywords: indoor agriculture; innovation in food technology; consumer attitudes; cluster analysis; market segmentation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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