Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China

Zhihao Zheng; Shida R. Henneberry; Chuanzhong Sun; Rodolfo M. Nayga

doi:10.1111/1477-9552.12264

Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China

Zhihao Zheng, Shida R. Henneberry, Chuanzhong Sun, Rodolfo M. Nayga

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	705-725
Number of pages	21
Journal	Journal of Agricultural Economics
Volume	69
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12264
Publication status	Published - 2018 Sept

Bibliographical note

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.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Agricultural Economics Society

Keywords

China
contingent valuation
genetically modified rice
information treatments
willingness to pay

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
Economics and Econometrics

Access to Document

10.1111/1477-9552.12264

Cite this

@article{574f95ffba6142f3aeb1a5a6a2cd384b,

title = "Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China",

abstract = "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{\textquoteright} 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 {\textquoteleft}special food{\textquoteright} with an unreliable image.",

keywords = "China, contingent valuation, genetically modified rice, information treatments, willingness to pay",

author = "Zhihao Zheng and Henneberry, {Shida R.} and Chuanzhong Sun and Nayga, {Rodolfo M.}",

note = "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 G{\'e}n{\'e}rale de l{\textquoteright}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. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Agricultural Economics Society",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1111/1477-9552.12264",

language = "English",

volume = "69",

pages = "705--725",

journal = "Journal of Agricultural Economics",

issn = "0021-857X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "3",

}

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. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Agricultural Economics Society

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

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041602320&partnerID=8YFLogxK

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 -

Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this