TY - JOUR
T1 - Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China
AU - Zheng, Zhihao
AU - Henneberry, Shida R.
AU - Sun, Chuanzhong
AU - Nayga, Rodolfo M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Along with the rapid R&D advancements and applications of the biotechnology and genetic engineering in China, there has been a growing debate regarding the health and safety impacts of GM foods.3 In particular, since MOA issued bio-safety certificates for two types of transgenic rice in 2009, the voices questioning and opposing GM technology and foods have become stronger, almost dominating the debate. Regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom, the Direction Générale de l’Alimentation (DGAL) in France, and the Ministry of Agriculture in China, as well as international organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the European Commission have maintained that GM organisms and their products are safe if they pass the safety evaluation of their organisations and simultaneously earn safety certificates. There is no known human health risk associated with GM foods. Furthermore, there has been a growing consensus among scientists that biotechnology has the potential to create products that will enhance quality, increase crop yields, and reduce the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides (Noussair et al., 2004). However, similar to discussion in other countries, the GM opposing Chinese groups have insisted that the safety of GM foods is not yet completely known, and that planting of GM crops can possibly lead to genetic pollution and, even more, can endanger food sovereignty in China. These discussions have increased the public concern over the safety of GM foods and, consequently, have negatively impacted the research and investment in biotechnology in general and in GM crops in particular.
PY - 2018/9
Y1 - 2018/9
N2 - We investigate consumer demand for genetically modified (GM) rice in urban China, using a relatively large survey of urban consumers in 2013 and the contingent valuation method. Our results show that respondents discount their WTP for first, second and third generation of GM rice by 31%, 34% and 36%, respectively, compared with non-GM rice, indicating substantial aversion to GM rice by Chinese consumers. The level of consumers’ subjective knowledge of GM rice has a significantly negative impact on their WTP for GM rice, implying that GM rice in China has become a ‘special food’ with an unreliable image.
AB - We investigate consumer demand for genetically modified (GM) rice in urban China, using a relatively large survey of urban consumers in 2013 and the contingent valuation method. Our results show that respondents discount their WTP for first, second and third generation of GM rice by 31%, 34% and 36%, respectively, compared with non-GM rice, indicating substantial aversion to GM rice by Chinese consumers. The level of consumers’ subjective knowledge of GM rice has a significantly negative impact on their WTP for GM rice, implying that GM rice in China has become a ‘special food’ with an unreliable image.
KW - China
KW - contingent valuation
KW - genetically modified rice
KW - information treatments
KW - willingness to pay
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U2 - 10.1111/1477-9552.12264
DO - 10.1111/1477-9552.12264
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85041602320
SN - 0021-857X
VL - 69
SP - 705
EP - 725
JO - Journal of Agricultural Economics
JF - Journal of Agricultural Economics
IS - 3
ER -