Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Potting Mix with Biochar

Thomas, McKenzie; Jensen, Kimberly L.; Lambert, Dayton M.; English, Burton C.; Clark, Christopher D.; Walker, Forbes R.

doi:10.3390/en14123432

Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Potting Mix with Biochar

Journal Article · Thu Jun 10 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Energies

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123432· OSTI ID:1843768

Thomas, McKenzie ^[1]; Jensen, Kimberly L. ^[2]; Lambert, Dayton M. ^[3]; ^[2]; Clark, Christopher D. ^[2]; ^[2]

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); University of Tennessee
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK (United States)

Biochar is a co-product of advanced biofuels production from feedstocks including food, agricultural, wood wastes, or dedicated energy crops. Markets for soil amendments using biochar are emerging, but little is known about consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for these products or the depth of the products’ market potential for this product. This research provides WTP estimates for potting mix amended with 25% biochar, conditioned on consumer demographics and attitudes about product information labeling. Data were collected with an online survey of 577 Tennessee home gardeners. WTP was elicited through a referendum contingent valuation. Consumer WTP for an 8.81 L bag of 25% biochar potting mix is $8.52; a premium of $3.53 over conventional potting mix. Demographics and attitudes toward biofuels and the environment influence WTP. Biochar amounts demanded are projected for the study area’s potential market. Optimal prices, profits, and market shares are estimated across different marginal costs of producing biochar potting mix.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); USDA; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0006639

OSTI ID:: 1843768

Journal Information:: Energies, Journal Name: Energies Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 14; ISSN 1996-1073

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (46)

Replication data for: Truth in Consequentiality: Theory and Field Evidence on Discrete Choice Experiments Vossler, Christian A.; Doyon, Maurice; Rondeau, Daniel ICPSR - Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research https://doi.org/10.3886/e114400v1	dataset	January 2012
Consumer Preference for Sustainable Attributes in Plants: Evidence from Experimental Auctions: CONSUMER PREFERENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ATTRIBUTES IN PLANTS Yue, Chengyan; Campbell, Ben; Hall, Charles Agribusiness, Vol. 32, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.21435	journal	June 2015
The financial trade‐off between the production of biochar and biofuel via pyrolysis under uncertainty Frank, Jenny R.; Brown, Tristan R.; Malmsheimer, Robert W. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Vol. 14, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.2092	journal	March 2020
Estimating profitability of two biochar production scenarios: slow pyrolysis vs fast pyrolysis Brown, Tristan R.; Wright, Mark M.; Brown, Robert C. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.254	journal	December 2010
Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests Cronbach, Lee J. Psychometrika, Vol. 16, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555	journal	September 1951
Visual attention, buying impulsiveness, and consumer behavior Khachatryan, Hayk; Rihn, Alicia; Behe, Bridget Marketing Letters, Vol. 29, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-018-9446-9	journal	February 2018
Positive effects of composted biochar on plant growth and soil fertility Schulz, Hardy; Dunst, Gerald; Glaser, Bruno Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Vol. 33, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0150-0	journal	May 2013
Financial viability of biofuel and biochar production from forest biomass in the face of market price volatility and uncertainty Campbell, Robert M.; Anderson, Nathaniel M.; Daugaard, Daren E. Applied Energy, Vol. 230 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.08.085	journal	November 2018
Producing energy while sequestering carbon? The relationship between biochar and agricultural productivity Kauffman, Nathan; Dumortier, Jerome; Hayes, Dermot J. Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 63 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.01.049	journal	April 2014
New approaches to measuring biochar density and porosity Brewer, Catherine E.; Chuang, Victoria J.; Masiello, Caroline A. Biomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 66 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.03.059	journal	July 2014
Regional woody biomass supply and economic impacts from harvesting in the southern U.S He, Lixia; English, Burton C.; Menard, Robert J. Energy Economics, Vol. 60 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2016.09.007	journal	November 2016
Advances in upgradation of pyrolysis bio-oil and biochar towards improvement in bio-refinery economics: A comprehensive review Gupta, Shubhi; Mondal, Prasenjit; Borugadda, Venu Babu Environmental Technology & Innovation, Vol. 21 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2020.101276	journal	February 2021
Substitution of peat moss with softwood biochar for soil-free marigold growth Margenot, Andrew J.; Griffin, Deirdre E.; Alves, Bárbara S. Q. Industrial Crops and Products, Vol. 112 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.10.053	journal	February 2018
Sustainable compost and potting soil marketing: Private gardener preferences Dahlin, Johannes; Beuthner, Christoph; Halbherr, Verena Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 208 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.068	journal	January 2019
What are the consequences of consequentiality? Herriges, Joseph; Kling, Catherine; Liu, Chih-Chen Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Vol. 59, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2009.03.004	journal	January 2010
Domesticated nature: Motivations for gardening and perceptions of environmental impact Clayton, Susan Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol. 27, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.06.001	journal	September 2007
Sorption properties of greenwaste biochar for two triazine pesticides Zheng, Wei; Guo, Mingxin; Chow, Teresa Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 181, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.04.103	journal	September 2010
Biochar properties regarding to contaminants content and ecotoxicological assessment Oleszczuk, Patryk; Jośko, Izabela; Kuśmierz, Marcin Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 260 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.05.044	journal	September 2013
Carbon stability and mitigation of fertilizer induced N2O emissions in soil amended with biochar Grutzmacher, Priscila; Puga, Aline Peregrina; Bibar, Maria Paula Silveira Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 625 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.196	journal	June 2018
Factors Associated with Backyard Composting Behavior at the Household Level Park, William M.; Lamons, Kevin S.; Roberts, Roland K. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Vol. 31, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1068280500003968	journal	October 2002
Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Biodegradable Containers Than for Plastic Ones? Evidence from Hypothetical Conjoint Analysis and Nonhypothetical Experimental Auctions Yue, Chengyan; Hall, Charles R.; Behe, Bridget K. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Vol. 42, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1074070800003941	journal	November 2010
Quantifying the Total and Bioavailable Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Dioxins in Biochars Hale, Sarah E.; Lehmann, Johannes; Rutherford, David Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 46, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1021/es203984k	journal	February 2012
Quantitative Determination of PAHs in Biochar: A Prerequisite To Ensure Its Quality and Safe Application Hilber, Isabel; Blum, Franziska; Leifeld, Jens Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 60, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1021/jf205278v	journal	March 2012
Technology development for the production of biobased products from biorefinery carbohydrates—the US Department of Energy’s “Top 10” revisited Bozell, Joseph J.; Petersen, Gene R. Green Chemistry, Vol. 12, Issue 4, p. 539-554 https://doi.org/10.1039/b922014c	journal	January 2010
Influence of biochars on flux of N2O and CO2 from Ferrosol van Zwieten, L.; Kimber, S.; Morris, S. Soil Research, Vol. 48, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR10004	journal	January 2010
Biochar boosts tropical but not temperate crop yields Jeffery, Simon; Abalos, Diego; Prodana, Marija Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 12, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa67bd	journal	April 2017
Consumer preferences for organic production methods and origin promotions on ornamental plants: evidence from eye-tracking experiments Rihn, Alicia; Khachatryan, Hayk; Campbell, Benjamin Agricultural Economics, Vol. 47, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12258	journal	August 2016
Biochar stability in soil: meta-analysis of decomposition and priming effects Wang, Jinyang; Xiong, Zhengqin; Kuzyakov, Yakov GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 8, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12266	journal	June 2015
A Reservation-Price Model for Optimal Pricing of Multiattribute Products in Conjoint Analysis Kohli, Rajeev; Mahajan, Vijay Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 28, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379102800309	journal	August 1991
Unbiased Value Estimates for Environmental Goods: A Cheap Talk Design for the Contingent Valuation Method Cummings, Ronald G.; Taylor, Laura O. American Economic Review, Vol. 89, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.89.3.649	journal	June 1999
Truth in Consequentiality: Theory and Field Evidence on Discrete Choice Experiments Vossler, Christian A.; Doyon, Maurice; Rondeau, Daniel American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, Vol. 4, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1257/mic.4.4.145	journal	November 2012
Contingent Valuation: Past, Present and Future Hoyos, David; Mariel, Petr Prague Economic Papers, Vol. 19, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.18267/j.pep.380	journal	January 2010
Consumer Preferences for Price, Color Harmony, and Care Information of Container Gardens Mason, Shannon C.; Starman, Terri W.; Lineberger, R. D. HortScience, Vol. 43, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.43.2.380	journal	April 2008
Gardening Consumer Segments Vary in Ecopractices Behe, Bridget K.; Campbell, Benjamin; Dennis, Jennifer HortScience, Vol. 45, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.45.10.1475	journal	October 2010
Consumer Preferences for Low-input Turfgrasses: A Conjoint Analysis Hugie, Kari; Yue, Chengyan; Watkins, Eric HortScience, Vol. 47, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.47.8.1096	journal	August 2012
Survey of Consumer Interest in Organic, Sustainable, and Local Container-grown Plants in Maine Hawkins, Gwendolyn; Burnett, Stephanie E.; Stack, Lois B. HortTechnology, Vol. 22, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.22.6.817	journal	December 2012
Comparative Consumer Perspectives on Eco-friendly and Insect Management Practices on Floriculture Crops Getter, Kristin L.; Behe, Bridget K.; Wollaeger, Heidi Marie HortTechnology, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.26.1.46	journal	February 2016
Effects of Biochar Addition on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Microbial Responses in a Short-Term Laboratory Experiment Yoo, Gayoung; Kang, Hojeong Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol. 41, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0157	journal	July 2012
Charcoal Volatile Matter Content Influences Plant Growth and Soil Nitrogen Transformations Deenik, Jonathan L.; McClellan, Tai; Uehara, Goro Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 74, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0115	journal	July 2010
Organic Materials Used in Agriculture, Horticulture, Reconstructed Soils, and Filtering Applications Caron, Jean; Heinse, Robert; Charpentier, Sylvain Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2015.04.0057	journal	June 2015
Referendum Design and Contingent Valuation: The NOAA Panel's No-Vote Recommendation Carson, Richard T.; Hanemann, W. Michael; Kopp, Raymond J. Unknown https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.10865	text	January 1995
Welfare Evaluations in Contingent Valuation Experiments with Discrete Responses Hanemann, W. Michael American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 66, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2307/1240800	journal	August 1984
On Approximating the Statistical Properties of Elasticities Krinsky, Itzhak; Robb, A. Leslie The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 68, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2307/1924536	journal	November 1986
Yea-Saying in Contingent Valuation Surveys Blamey, R. K.; Bennett, J. W.; Morrison, M. D. Land Economics, Vol. 75, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2307/3146997	journal	February 1999
Biofuels Production through Biomass Pyrolysis —A Technological Review Jahirul, Mohammad; Rasul, Mohammad; Chowdhury, Ashfaque Energies, Vol. 5, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.3390/en5124952	journal	November 2012
Rank-Ordered Analysis of Consumer Preferences for the Attributes of a Value-Added Biofuel Co-Product Choi, Yejun; Lambert, Dayton M.; Jensen, Kimberly L. Sustainability, Vol. 12, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062363	journal	March 2020

Similar Records

The willingness to pay for groundwater protection

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Water Resources Research; (United States) · OSTI ID:5272698

An experiment in contingent valuation: Willingness to pay for stormwater management. [Homeowners in Baltimore County]

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991 · OSTI ID:7261320

Willingness to pay for electricity from renewable energy

Technical Report · Sat Aug 31 20:00:00 EDT 1996 · OSTI ID:399985

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
biochar
biofuels
consumer preferences
feedstock
potting mix

Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Potting Mix with Biochar

Citation Formats

References (46)

Similar Records

Related Subjects