Do consumers value hydroponics? Implications for organic certification

Recent controversy about the inclusion of hydroponics in the U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) organic program has highlighted uncertainty about marketinghydroponic crops. In a controversial vote in November 2017, the National OrganicStandards Board chose not to recommend that hydroponic farms be banned fromorganic certification. It is still unclear, however, how consumers perceive and valuehydroponic production. This study used a nonhypothetical choice experiment toestimate consumers’ willingness to pay for hydroponic and traditional lettuce bothwith and without organic certification. No hydroponic premium was found, butexposing consumers to different kinds of information about hydroponics signifi-cantly affected consumers’ preference formation. Findings generally suggest that theNational Organic Program should consider ways to ensure the stability of organicpremiums as perceptions about hydroponics evolve.