Feed for thought: factors predicting public support for funding and labeling preferences of alternative aquafeed

Abstract

Alternative aquafeed is currently being researched as a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to bolster aquaculture production, which plays an integral role in supplying global seafood demand. Guided by the cognitive miser model, this study aims to examine factors predicting public support for funding the development of alternative aquafeed and public preference for labeling fish fed with alternative aquafeed. This study found that heuristics were more influential than knowledge in shaping the dependent variables. This study also investigated how heuristics serve as perceptual filters, interacting with knowledge when influencing public support for funding and preference for labeling. This indicates that dependent on their predispositions and available heuristic cues, individuals might interpret the same information differently. Most importantly, the findings suggest that labels may serve varying roles and can be an effective way for actors in the food industry to communicate to the public.