Consumers' attitudes toward and willingness to pay for organic aquaculture products: Evidence from Spain

Aquaculture production has grown significantly, accounting for 51 % of global aquatic animal production by volume as of 2020. However, concerns over the environmental impact of intensive aquaculture have driven the sector to explore sustainable alternatives, including organic aquaculture. In response, the EU introduced Regulation 848/2018 on organic production, which came into force on 1 January 2022. This regulation promotes practices that prioritize animal welfare, use organic feed, and focus on sustainability. Against this background, this study examined Spanish consumers' preferences for organic aquaculture fish, specifically sea bass. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 1300 Spanish consumers via the Qualtrics© consumer panel to assess their perceptions, knowledge, trust, preferred characteristics, and willingness to pay (WTP) for organic aquaculture products. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze the influence of socioeconomic and attitudinal factors on WTP. The findings revealed that family, friends, and consumer associations are the most trusted sources of information. While Spanish consumers exhibited low subjective knowledge, their objective knowledge of aquaculture was moderate. Despite moderate anthropocentric views, environmental attitudes were largely ecocentric. Consumers perceive organic aquaculture to be healthier, more environmentally friendly, and of higher quality than conventional alternatives, with a WTP that is 25 % higher for organic fish. Older consumers with greater financial stability, a higher level of subjective knowledge, and stronger anthropocentric attitudes are more likely to pay a premium. Key factors influencing WTP include price, origin, freshness, and harvesting method. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers and marketers aiming to expand organic sea bass production in Spain and Europe. •The “organic” label positively influences consumer perceptions of sea bass quality.•Consumers are willing to pay 25 % more for organic aquaculture sea bass.•Family, friends, and consumer associations are the most trusted information sources.•Older, financially stable, knowledgeable consumers exhibit higher WTP.•Key factors driving WTP are price, origin, freshness, and harvesting method.