Reducing water use in livestock use through food labels

Something as small as a food label could help reduce the amount of water used in livestock production, according to Washington State University (WSU) researchers.

They found that when consumers are willing to pay a little more for meat products labelled to reflect a single, environmentally friendly production practice - such as water conservation - this can add up to real change.

According to Robin White, lead researcher of the study, meat packers and retailers can create incentives for water-saving livestock production by using labels that appeal to consumer values.

White and fellow researcher WSU economist Mike Brady found that, by paying just 10% more for meat products labelled as more environmentally friendly, consumers could bring about huge water savings in livestock production.

The researchers compared consumers’ willingness to pay for meat products with labels that:

1. reflected a single attribute of reducing environmental impact; or
2. represented a suite of attributes.

They evaluated different price premiums to find the ‘sweet spot’, where the lowest premium that consumers found palatable would also cover the costs to the producer of reducing water use. They also found that moderate price premiums across all meat products will have a greater impact on water conservation than high premiums for a few niche products.

If the livestock industry wants to demonstrate improvements in sustainability, it needs consumer cooperation and willingness to pay more for products produced with a reduced environmental impact, said White.

“This study demonstrates that consumers are willing,” White said. “Now we just need to connect the dots to accurately represent a product’s environmental impact in a way that is meaningful, understandable and attractive to consumers.”

The study was published in the journal Food Policy.