Improving the Nutrient Content of Food through Genetic Modification: Evidence from Experimental Auctions on Consumer Acceptance

By: Colson, Gregory; Huffman, Wallace E.; Rousu, Matthew C.
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Colson, Gregory; Huffman, Wallace E.; Rousu, Matthew C., Improving the Nutrient Content of Food through Genetic Modification: Evidence from Experimental Auctions on Consumer Acceptance, Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Volume 36, Issue 2, August 2011, Pages 343-364

This paper assesses consumers’ acceptance of nutritionally enhanced vegetables using a series of auction experiments administered to a random sample of adult consumers. Evidence suggests that consumers are willing to pay significantly more for fresh produce with labels signaling enhanced levels of antioxidants and vitamin C achieved by moving genes from within the species, as opposed to across species. However, this premium is significantly affected by diverse information treatments injected into the experiments.