The value of food products from mixed crop-livestock systems: environmental benefits and regional environmental carrying capacity

Food products from mixed crop-livestock systems is a market-based solution to reduce environmental impacts of livestock worldwide. However, widespread promotion of mixed systems of recycling agriculture depends on consumers’ acceptance of its food products. In this paper, we examine consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for several attributes of pork products, and develop consumer classes based on preferences. Using a choice experiment among 893 Chinese consumers, our results show that consumers are willing to pay a premium for pork with mixed crop-livestock systems claim. In addition, a positive WTP is also detected for different environmental carrying capacity, environmental benefits and quality certifications. We use latent class analysis to identify heterogeneous consumers into five classes: namely balanced thinking, price sensitive, quality preferred, environmental benefits conscious and ecology conscious consumers. Further policies and interventions aimed at promoting the market-oriented operation of mixed crop-livestock systems of recycling agriculture, based on regional environmental carrying capacity, different dimensions of environmental benefits and quality improvement of food products, will be effective.