Texas Tech University System

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. Consumers Are Becoming More Environmentally Conscious and Within the Last Three to Five Years,brands and Retailers Have Begun Aggressive Marketing Campaigns for Sustainable Products.sustainability Programs Such as the U.s. Cotton Trust Protocol Is Available to Producers to Increaseconsumer Awareness of the Sustainable Farming Practices Used in U.s. Cotton Production. Thegrower Participation Rate Into These Programs Is Low Due to Time, Data Privacy, Lack of Generalinterest, and Fear of the Information Being Used Against Them.this Project Has Three Objectives: 1) Identify Key Demographic Factors That Play a Role in Producerparticipation of Sustainability Programs Using Dial-testing Technology, 2) Evaluate Consumerpreferences and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Sustainably Produced Cotton Products and Segmentconsumers by Product Type Using Machine Learning Methods, and 3) Evaluate Brand and Retailerperceptions in the Supply Chain to Determine WTP and Optimal Contract Design Using a Bayesianframework to Analyze Survey Responses.participation in Sustainability Programs Will Have a Significant Impact on Grower Competitiveness Inthe Global Supply Chain and the Results of This Study Will Improve the Adoption Rate of Growers Intothe U.s. Cotton Trust Protocol. Producer Involvement May Also Increase the Consumption of Cottonby Consumers in the Market If Cotton Products Are Perceived as More Sustainable Than Man-madefabrics Like Polyester.