16 pages., via online journal., raceability system has received wide attention in solving food safety issues, via which food information could be tracked back to producer/farmers. Consumers need to obtain this information from producers or social networks, trust in the information, and consequently assess perceived risks, especially when food scandals are exposed to the media. In this study, we introduce the social embeddedness theory to understand how consumers' social activities affect their risk perceptions on traceable food. Specifically, we investigate how risk perceptions are predicted by the interpersonal relationships, organizational level and social-level relationships. Results show that the interpersonal relationships were associated with lower levels of risk perceptions, while organizational and social relationships impacted consumer's risk perceptions at middle and higher levels, respectively. Results also show that the “ripple effect” extended to effect of risk events with negative information, however, did not exist for the group exposed to positive information. Potential food safety implications have been proposed to identify for effective risk mitigation under media coverages.
16 pages., Article #: 1999, via online journal., The main purpose of this study was to determine the structure of consumer preferences
regarding information on farming system and nutritional enhancement of eggs to verify if consumers
are willing to accept products combing sustainability and nutrition related claims. The data was
collected within a CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) survey on a representative
sample of 935 consumers responsible for food shopping. A discrete choice-based conjoint method
was selected in eliciting consumer preferences among different product profiles with varying
levels of attributes. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify four distinct clusters
that differed significantly in terms of importance attached to production system attributes and
socio-demographic profiles. The results of the experiment showed that price and farming system
had the most significant mean relative importance in shaping consumers’ preferences, while other
attributes such as nutrition and health claims, egg size, package size and hen breed were far
less important. Free range eggs had the highest relative importance for consumers despite the
fact that organic egg production systems are governed by much stricter animal welfare standards.
Our segmentation revealed that two of our four clusters may be more easily reached by information
on animal welfare related attributes in egg production than the others. The results of our study
provide the policy makers and marketing practitioners with insights applicable for communication
and pricing strategies for eggs with sustainability claims.
9 pages., Via online journal., Lack of trust is thought to be one of the most significant barriers to the consumption of organic foods, which is an important dimension of sustainable behaviour. Building trust in organic foods is the central objective of this paper. Based on information processing models focusing on what message to transmit and how, and on the premise that to improve trust, two different dimensions (functionality and authenticity) must be managed simultaneously, this paper analyzes the comparative effectiveness of different combinations of message arguments, forms of appeal and sources on consumer trust. To this end, an experiment was designed with a total of 800 participants, in which 36 different treatments were tested. The results show strong interactions between the three variables considered and suggest that the most effective combinations for building trust are: the health argument put across by an expert, the authenticity argument transmitted by a producers’ union, the elitist argument made by an expert and lastly, the social argument transmitted by a public authority, using an emotional form of appeal in all four cases. These results serve to complete the previous literature on the subject, in which communication activities are recommended but the questions of what to say, how to say it and who should say it are not specifically addressed.
18 pages., via online journal., Genetically modified (GM) foods have attracted a great deal of controversy. While some consumers and organizations regard GM foods as safe, many other consumers and organizations remain concerned about their potential health risks. The results of three studies suggest that consumers respond differently to persuasive messages regarding GM foods on the basis of their preexisting attitudes. Weak anti-GM consumers tend to comply with a variety of pro-GM messages. In contrast, strong anti-GM consumers exhibit message-opposing behavior. Moreover, they respond just as negatively to a safety message (claiming that GM foods are safe) as to a risk message (claiming that GM foods are unsafe). The mechanism underlying these effects is consumers’ perceived health risk. A benefit message claiming that GM foods are beneficial (e.g., more nutritious than their conventional counterparts) is a better alternative for strong anti-GM consumers. Finally, the results suggest that persuasive messages do not significantly change pro-GM consumers’ evaluations of these foods.
