Is There a Potential US Market for Seaweed-Based Products? A Framed Field Experiment on Consumer Acceptance

Abstract

Consumers often resist trying novel foods such as seaweed even though their cultivation can provide substantial benefits to the environment. Therefore, research in consumer acceptance is needed before launching a novel food product in the market. We conduct a framed field experiment with adult consumers to investigate US consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for three seaweed products: seaweed salad, kelp noodles, and a seaweed snack. The results suggest that there is a potential market for seaweed food products in the United States, as 35% of participants chose to purchase at least one seaweed product. Demographic variables matter in consumers’ choices. For instance, we find a negative WTP premium for female shoppers and primary household shoppers and a positive WTP premium for individuals who had a higher level of education and who were interested in improving the healthfulness of their diets.