Economic benefits from promoting linseed in the diet of dairy cows for reducing methane emissions and improving milk quality

Abstract

Linseed for feeding dairy cows reduces methane emissions and increases the omega-3 content of milk. In a lab experiment, milk bottles from cows fed a diet with or without linseed were offered to French participants for eliciting their willingness to pay (WTP). Successive messages highlighting the different effects of linseed were revealed to participants. We find that messages including the ones on methane emissions and omega-3 in milk significantly impact the participants’ WTP. These WTP estimates are used for welfare simulations that underline the positive impact of a public advertising campaign informing about linseed. When informing participants via a campaign becomes difficult, some regulatory tools like a quality standard may complement this advertising campaign.