Speaker
Description
The transition to sustainable livestock systems is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing resilience in agricultural landscapes. Alternative feed sources, such as residue-based and insect-based feed alternatives, offer a viable solution within the circular bioeconomy framework by repurposing agricultural by-products to improve feed sustainability. However, farmer adoption of these alternatives depends on economic incentives, regulatory considerations, and behavioral responses to policy interventions.
This study seeks to answer the following research questions:
1. What factors influence livestock farmers' preferences for adopting alternative feed options in Costa Rica?
2. Do farmers prioritize economic, regulatory, operational, or environmental attributes when making decisions about feed adoption?
3. Does gain or loss framing influence farmers' willingness to adopt residue-based or insect-based feed options?
This research applies a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess livestock farmers' preferences for alternative feed options. The experiment evaluates trade-offs across economic, regulatory, operational, and environmental attributes. Additionally, gain and loss framing is incorporated to analyze how farmers' behavioral responses shape their decision-making.
Preliminary findings suggest that cost reduction and feed availability are primary drivers of farmers' choices, while sanitary registration and GHG reduction play a secondary role in decision-making. However, these preferences vary depending on the type of producer, including farm size and production purpose (dairy, dual-purpose, or meat production). These insights provide policy-relevant evidence to foster a regional circular bioeconomy by integrating residue-based feed alternatives into livestock systems. Specifically, results highlight the need for targeted economic incentives to enhance the attractiveness of alternative feed options and clear regulatory frameworks to increase confidence in novel feed sources.
Furthermore, this research provides empirical evidence for business models that improve resource efficiency in livestock farming and contribute to the design of effective policies that encourage sustainable livestock production.
| Keywords | circular bioeconomy, animal feed, discrete choice experiment, residue valorization, agricultural by-products |
|---|---|
| Status of your work | First results |
| Early Career Researcher Award | Yes, the paper is eligible |
