Do consumers want specialised breeding goals for organic dairy cows – and how much are they willing to pay for individual breeding traits?

Summary in the original language of the document

Based on an online survey from September 2024 among 1,500 Danish consumers, two research questions were put forward:
RQ1. Is there an interest among Danish consumers to pursue an independent organic breeding programme?
RQ2. What are consumers willing to pay for various breeding traits in organic dairy production?
We found that approximately half of the respondents representing buyers of organic food were in favour of a specific organic breeding programme in dairy farming. The breeding trait with the highest WTP was improved animal welfare, while lower WTP was found for reduced carbon emissions and healthier milk and cheese, and there was very little WTP for a higher yield. Interestingly, respondents who were in favour of an organic breeding programme had higher WTP for reduced carbon emissions for both milk and cheese and for improved animal welfare for cheese.