Aquaponics, the combined rearing of fish and hydroponic horticulture, has great potential for sustainable food production. Despite increasing research and investments in commercial scale systems, aquaponics is not yet a successful industry and most businesses report negative returns. Aquaponic produce is thought to contain added value to the consumer, and the environment. As most consumers are unaware of aquaponics and their benefits, little is known of its potential market. The present study addresses this gap by analysing willingness to consume aquaponic produce at different price levels in Israel and Australia. We used econometric tools to study the effects of pricing and other factors on revenues in each country. Cluster analysis was used to define groups of potential consumers. The results indicate that 17-30% of the population in both Israel and Australia would prefer to consume aquaponic produce once informed of their added value. Revenues at a given premium would be higher in Israel than in Australia, and higher for a leafy green, than for fish. Different segments of the population differed in their willingness to consume aquaponic produce, as well as in their stated motivations when purchasing food. Conclusions highlight the importance of case-specific research on consumer preferences and economic considerations preceding commercial investment in aquaponics.

中文翻译：

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消费者对鱼菜共生的偏好：对澳大利亚和以色列的比较分析。

鱼和水培园艺相结合的养鱼共生，具有可持续粮食生产的巨大潜力。尽管在商业规模系统上的研究和投资有所增加，但鱼菜共生还不是一个成功的行业，大多数企业都报告了负收益。人们认为水培产品可以为消费者和环境带来增值。由于大多数消费者都不知道鱼菜共生及其益处，因此对其潜在市场知之甚少。本研究通过分析在以色列和澳大利亚以不同价格水平消费水产养殖产品的意愿来解决这一差距。我们使用计量经济学工具研究了定价和其他因素对每个国家/地区收入的影响。聚类分析用于定义潜在消费者的组。结果表明，以色列和澳大利亚的人口中有17-30％的人会在得知其附加值后更喜欢消费水培产品。以色列的给定溢价收入将比澳大利亚高，多叶绿色的收入将比鱼类高。人口的不同部分在消费水生植物的意愿以及购买食物时的表述动机方面也各不相同。结论强调了在对鱼菜共生进行商业投资之前，针对消费者偏好和经济考虑进行案例研究的重要性。人口的不同部分在消费水生植物的意愿以及购买食物时的表述动机方面也各不相同。结论强调了在对鱼菜共生进行商业投资之前，针对消费者偏好和经济考虑进行案例研究的重要性。人口的不同部分在消费水生植物的意愿以及购买食物时的表述动机方面也各不相同。结论强调了在对鱼菜共生进行商业投资之前，针对消费者偏好和经济考虑进行案例研究的重要性。