Yano Yuki, Maruyama Atsushi, Lu Na, Takagaki Michiko
Department of Food and Resource Economics, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan.
Center for Environment, Health, and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 277-0882, Japan.
Heliyon. 2023 Jun 20;9(6):e16823. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16823. eCollection 2023 Jun.
Indoor vertical farming using artificial light has gained popularity as one solution to food problems. However, prior studies have shown that some consumers have a negative impression that crops are grown in an artificial environment. The increased use of purple Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, which would make the growing environment look more artificial, may exacerbate that negative perception, leading to low acceptance of vertically farmed produce. Given that consumers are increasingly seeing indoor vertical farming directly, for example, in supermarkets and office buildings, it is important to understand how they perceive the use of purple LED lighting to grow crops and whether these perceptions can be improved by learning more about the scientific basis for artificial light cultivation. This study aimed to determine whether purple LED lighting reduces consumers' perceptions of indoor vertical farming compared to traditional white lighting, and to examine whether providing information on plant growth and artificial light changes those perceptions. We administered a web-based questionnaire to 961 Japanese respondents, and analyzed the response data using analysis of variance and an ordered probit model to explore the factors that define the likability for indoor vertical farming. The results revealed that the color of LED lighting had a limited influence on consumers' perceptions of indoor vertical farming, whereas explaining the principle of plant growth under artificial light improves their perceptions. Additionally, personal factors, such as resistance to novel food technology, trust in food safety, and awareness of indoor vertical farming, had a significant impact on the perceptions. It is crucial to expand opportunities for people to interact with artificial light cultivation and disseminate information about its scientific mechanisms.
利用人工光照的室内垂直农场作为解决粮食问题的一种方案已越来越受欢迎。然而，先前的研究表明，一些消费者对在人工环境中种植的作物有负面印象。紫色发光二极管（LED）照明的使用增加，会使种植环境看起来更加人工化，这可能会加剧这种负面认知，导致对垂直农场生产的农产品接受度较低。鉴于消费者越来越多地直接看到室内垂直农场，例如在超市和办公楼里，了解他们如何看待使用紫色LED照明种植作物，以及这些认知是否可以通过更多地了解人工光照栽培的科学依据而得到改善，就显得很重要。本研究旨在确定与传统白色照明相比，紫色LED照明是否会降低消费者对室内垂直农场的认知，并检验提供有关植物生长和人工光照的信息是否会改变这些认知。我们对961名日本受访者进行了一项基于网络的问卷调查，并使用方差分析和有序概率模型分析了回答数据，以探究决定对室内垂直农场喜爱程度的因素。结果显示，LED照明的颜色对消费者对室内垂直农场的认知影响有限，而解释人工光照下植物生长的原理则会改善他们的认知。此外，个人因素，如对新型食品技术的抵触、对食品安全的信任以及对室内垂直农场的认知，对这些认知有显著影响。扩大人们与人工光照栽培互动的机会并传播有关其科学机制的信息至关重要。
