Wanki Moon

Willingness to Pay for Environmental Practices: Implications for Eco-Labeling

Consumer survey data, collected in former West and East Berlin after the unification of Germany are used to address the issue of willingness to pay (WTP) for foods produced with techniques consistent with environmental stewardship. Results show differences in the WTP between residents of the two former German states attributed to area of residence. Residents of eastern city districts were generally less willing to pay a premium for foods produced with environmental-friendly methods which suggests that marketing of such foods will be more successful in western districts, unless educational efforts can be used to bridge the gap in the stated WTP. (JEL Q28)

Agro‐biotechnology and organic food purchase in the United Kingdom

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of consumers’ perceived risks and benefits of agro‐biotechnology in shaping the purchase pattern for organic food among UK consumers.Design/methodology/approach – An on‐line household survey of UK consumers was conducted using household panels maintained by the National Panel Diary (NPD) group. The data included organic food purchase pattern, perceived risks and benefits of agro‐biotechnology, and socio‐demographic information about the respondents. A regression model was used to examine the impact of consumers’ general purchase behavior, perceived risks and benefits of GM technology, and socio‐demographic on organic food purchase.Findings – Only 4 percent of the respondents purchased organic foods all the time, while 26 percent never purchased. Perceived risks of agro‐biotechnology played a dominant role in influencing organic food purchase decisions. As the risk perception increased consumers were likely to buy organic food more often. Althou...

Demand for food variety in an emerging market economy

Using food intake survey data collected in Bulgaria in 1997, this study identified socioeconomic and demographic factors affecting demand for varied diet as measured by the count of food items and Entropy index. Consumer preference for food variety exhibited different patterns depending on the length of time allowed for consumption. Estimated correlation coefficients indicated that daily variety deviated from that measured weekly and monthly. Regression analysis showed that regional effects differed across the three periods of time, illustrating that the length of time allowed for consumption is an important element in measuring the demand for food variety.

Labelling Genetically Modified Food Products: Consumers Concern in the United Kingdom

An online survey method was used to collect data regarding the concern and attitude of UK consumers towards genetically modified (GM) food labelling. Questionnaires were sent to 9000 participants of the online panel via emails, and 2568 consumers completed the online survey. The response rate was 29%. This study found that more than 75% of the consumers questioned were concerned about the labelling of food products with GM ingredients. Eight perceived risks and benefits of agro-biotechnology were identified to be associated with consumers’ attitude towards GM food labelling. Among them, three were perceived benefits, such as reduced use of chemicals in crop production, improved nutritional content, and increased yields. The five perceived risks were health risks, environmental risks, moral considerations, image of multinational corporations as the primary beneficiaries of biotechnology, and growing control of multinational corporations over farming. While all five perceived risks from GM food played a statistically significant role in shaping the overall attitude towards GM labelling, improved nutritional content due to application of biotechnology was the only benefit that was statistically significant. Age of the respondents was the only demographic variable playing a statistically significant role in shaping the attitude of respondents towards GM food labelling. Older respondents were more likely to be concerned about the existing GM labelling practices than younger respondents.

International Political Economy, the National Food Security of South Korea and the Governance of Global Agriculture in the Post-Doha Era

ABSTRACT The impasse of the Doha Round is caused fundamentally by the complexity of crafting trade rules that can encompass diverse agricultural problems across countries. The article presents the particular problem of Korean agriculture that is torn between ever-dwindling domestic production and the need to cultivate a socially desirable level of domestic production. In an effort to assess the current international relations in agriculture and identify the way out of the current gridlock, the article uses International Political Economy (IPE) theories and puts forward two propositions: (i) economic liberalism is not adequate for explaining today’s international relations in agriculture, and (ii) the realists’ perspective provides a pertinent way of understanding the controversies surrounding agricultural trade. Further, the article advances the hypothesis that the global food system is undergoing a process of bifurcating into two distinct spheres: production agriculture (governed by states) and downstream agribusiness sectors (governed by transnational corporations).

Economic Development, Agricultural Growth and Labour Productivity in Asia

This article addresses two goals related to the role of agriculture in the economic development of Asian countries. First, it reviews the extant theories/concepts/ideas as well as empirical literature that sheds light on the role of agriculture in the process of economic development. Ending a few decades of neglect of agriculture by international agencies and donor countries in designing development strategies for poor countries, a body of nascent research has convincingly shown that the growth in agricultural productivity plays a critical role in promoting economic development. Second, the performances of agricultural sectors in 11 Asian countries are analysed with a focus on Southeast Asia. In particular, the analysis shows that agricultural labour productivity has considerably diverged between Korea and the Southeast Asian countries, while the latter is catching up with the former in terms of agricultural land productivity. As such, this article contrasts agricultural input use patterns and productivity changes in recent decades between Korea and the Southeast Asian countries and discusses the strategies that are required for improving agricultural labour productivity in the region.

Identifying Factors Affecting Consumption of Peanut Tahina in Bulgaria

Abstract A demand for snack foods has emerged as market-oriented reforms and privatization progresses in Bulgaria. Information is needed about consumer preferences to compete in the emerging market. This study identified socioeconomic and demographic characteristics influencing the consumption of peanut tahina, a unique product made of ground peanuts. An ordered probit model with sample selection showed that household income, education, age, and location significantly effected the decision to consume the product, but not the consumption intensity.