Consumer acceptance of food biotechnology based on policy context and upstream acceptance: evidence from an artefactual field experiment

Pakseresht, Ashkan; McFadden, Brandon R.; Lagerkvist, Carl Johan

doi:10.1093/erae/jbx016

Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2017

Consumer acceptance of food biotechnology based on policy context and upstream acceptance: evidence from an artefactual field experiment

Pakseresht, Ashkan; McFadden, Brandon R.; Lagerkvist, Carl Johan

Abstract

The European Commission recently proposed new rules allowing 'opt-outs' by member states from a Europe-wide approval system for genetically modified (GM) foods. An artefactual field experiment was performed in Sweden to test whether changing the policy context and acceptance by upstream actors influenced consumer acceptance of a GM product with direct tangible health benefits and indirect environmental benefits. The results indicated that acceptance was lower in more restrictive policy scenarios and higher in less restrictive contexts. Moreover, acceptance of upstream actors was policy context-dependent and differed between participants opposed to or accepting the technology.

Keywords

potato; consumer behaviour; agro-biotechnology; genetically modified (GM); decision-making

Published in

European Review of Agricultural Economics
2017, volume: 44, number: 5, pages: 757-780
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS

Authors' information

Pakseresht, Ashkan

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Economics

McFadden, Brandon R.

University of Florida

Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Economics

UKÄ Subject classification

Economics

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbx016

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/94936