Consumption behavior, preferences, and willingness to pay for fish attributes in Ghana

The fishing industry contributes to the socio-economic development of emerging economies, including Ghana. Therefore, it is essential to understand the factors that influence the marketability of fish to improve production and address poverty, malnutrition, gender equality, and economic growth. This paper employs advanced discrete choice experiment methods to analyze Ghana's consumer preferences and willingness to pay for fish attributes. A sample of 100 consumers from fish-consuming individuals in the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region was selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. The empirical results from the mixed logit regression model revealed that production method, product form, origin, and price are factors that influence consumers' choices. Specifically, consumers preferred farm-raised and frozen fish over wild-caught, fresh, fried, and smoked fish options. The findings also show that consumers are price sensitive, favoring low-priced fish. The willingness to pay space model confirms that consumers value farm-raised, frozen, and imported fish over fresh, fried, smoked, and locally produced fish. Remarkably, consumers were willing to pay a premium of GHS 6.2 more for farm-raised fish than wild-caught fish, the price of GHS 24 extra for frozen fish than fresh fish, and GHS 8.7 more for imported fish than locally produced fish. These insights emphasize the need for interventions to invest in cold chain infrastructure, adjust pricing strategies, and embark on consumer education about the benefits of locally produced fish. Policymakers should also introduce demand-driven strategy to enhance competitiveness and promote sustainable livelihoods among the actors along the fish value chain.