Commercial Aquaponics Approaching the European Market: To Consumers’ Perceptions of Aquaponics Products in Europe

Abstract

Abstract:The first commercial aquaponics companies are starting up in Europe. The main focus has been on solving technology issues and optimizing production. However, increasing attention is now being paid to certification and regulations linked to aquaponics, as well as the marketing of products and services. The paper presents the results of a study whose main aim was to estimate consumers' knowledge about aquaponics and their acceptance of aquaponics products in different European regions. An on-line questionnaire was administered to the general public through the aquaponics network of Food and Agriculture COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action FA1305 "The EU Aquaponics Hub-Realising Sustainable Integrated Fish and Vegetable Production for the EU" in 16 European countries. The methodology includes univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. The results show that, on average, attitudes towards aquaponics were positive, showing no significant differences between those who already knew about aquaponics and those who only heard about it through the survey. More than 50% of respondents had never heard of aquaponics, whilst more than 70% had already heard of hydroponics. No more than 17% of respondents were willing to pay more for aquaponically produced products and no more than 40% more when compared to the price of products from conventional farming. The results confirm three different clusters of potential consumers of aquaponics products. They also suggest an urgent need for implementing integrated and holistic approaches involving all stakeholders in aquaponics, in order to define a marketing plan and efficient communication strategies. This COST action, other projects and public decision makers must invest in educating consumers about aquaponics through the organization of guided tours, thematic workshops and tastings of aquaponics products in order to raise their awareness about this new technology. It is absolutely urgent that public decision makers, in cooperation with aquaponics stakeholders, address the main institutional constraints, namely the introduction of aquaponics as an economic activity and the organic certification of aquaponics products.

Aquaponics in Urban Agriculture: Social Acceptance and Urban Food Planning

“…This study echoes several findings from Miličič et al's work [16], which called for an educational campaign of guided tours, workshops, and tastings to enable interaction with a new technology. As UA experts, the participants were able to elaborate on barriers and concerns that might be perceived by the public, and generate creative options for structural operations of aquaponics systems.…”

Do consumers value hydroponics? Implications for organic certification

“…Similar results were obtained in a hypothetical survey in Taiwan (Huang, Kan, & Fu, ), where the authors compared Willingness To Pay (WTP) for “hydroponically grown vegetables” with conventional vegetables. However, in this study, it was also emphasized that the hydroponic alternative was “free of pesticide residues.” On the other hand, the recent study by Coyle and Ellison () on a sample of U.S. lettuce consumers, found a higher WTP premium for “field grown” lettuce over lettuce grown in a “vertical farm” or in a “greenhouse.” Recently, a few studies in Europe and in the United States focused attention on consumers’ perception of aquaponics, which combines hydroponics and aquaculture (the raising of fish) (Miličić, Thorarinsdottir, Santos, & Hančič, ; Short et al., ; Tamin, Harun, Estim, Saufie, & Obong, 2015; Zugravu et al., ). Generally, it was observed that consumers had positive attitudes toward vegetables grown in aquaponic systems, especially because of environmental advantages related to the adoption of this production method.…”

Unravelling the potential of halophytes for marine integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA)— a perspective on performance, opportunities and challenges

“…Yet, consumers do recognize socio-economic benefits from aquaculture and are concerned with sustainability issues (Whitmarsh & Palmieri 2009, Barrington et al 2010, Fernandez-Polanco & Luna 2012. Aquaponics, for example, is regarded as the fittest land-based IMTA for sustainable urban farming (Specht et al 2014), and a European consumer survey about that mode of production found a positive attitude towards local products (Milicic et al 2017). In the same study, willingness to pay regarding food was mostly based on price and whether the products are free of antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides.…”