Consumer Valuation of and Attitudes Towards Novel Foods Produced with NPETs: A Review

Abstract

We review the emerging international body of evidence on attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for novel foods produced with New Plant Engineering Techniques (NPETs). NPETs include genome/gene editing, cisgenesis, intragenesis, RNA interference and others. These novel foods are often beneficial for the environment and human health and more sustainable under increasingly prevalent climate extremes. These techniques can also improve animal welfare and disease resistance when applied to animals. Despite these promising attributes, evidence suggests that many, but not all consumers, discount these novel foods relative to conventional ones. Our systematic review sorts out findings to identify conditioning factors which can increase the acceptance of and WTP for these novel foods in a significant segment of consumers. International patterns of acceptance are identified. We also analyze how information and knowledge interact with consumer acceptance of these novel foods and technologies. Heterogeneity of consumers across cultures and borders, and in attitudes towards science and innovation emerges as key determinants of acceptance and WTP. Acceptance and WTP tend to increase when beneficial attributes—as opposed to producer-oriented cost-saving attributes—are generated by NPETs. NPETs improved foods are systematically less discounted than transgenic foods. Most of the valuation elicitations are based on hypothetical experiments and surveys and await validation through revealed preferences in actual purchases in food retailing environments.

Developing Germplasm and Promoting Consumption of Anthocyanin-Rich Grains for Health Benefits

“…Acceptance and WTP are higher when consumers perceive the attributes (nutritional value, taste and flavor or sustainable ecosystems such as reduced water or pesticides) generated by new technology are beneficial. The gene editedderived foods are systematically less discounted than GMF (Beghin and Gustafson, 2021). Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in developing world prompting country-Governments to adopt biofortification of plant-derived foods with pro-vitamin A (β-carotene) enriched foods as vehicle to overcome deficiency.…”

Can foods produced with new plant engineering techniques succeed in the marketplace? A case study of apples

“…Our paper provides several contributions to the literature evaluating WTP for novel foods based on NPETs techniques and their emergence. First, recent studies identify significant discounting of GE and other NPETs foods by consumers compared to conventional foods, which is reminiscent of past reluctance to GMO food (Bunge & Dockser, 2018; Caputo et al, 2020; De Marchi et al, 2019, 2020; Edenbrandt et al, 2018; Hudson et al, 2015; Lin et al, 2019; Marette et al, 2021; Muringai et al, 2020; Shew et al, 2018; and Yunes et al, 2019; Beghin & Gustafson, 2021 for a survey). See Bredahl, 1999; Lusk, 2011 for earlier studies on attitudes toward GMOs.…”

“…Will consumers and policymakers discount NPETs-based novel foods and compromise their market emergence, as it has happened for many GMOs? There is emerging evidence that consumers, especially in European countries (e.g., France), have concerns for and therefore discount NPETs-based foods, but to a lesser extent than for GMOs (Beghin & Gustafson, 2021). What are the consequences for research and development (R&D) investments relying on GE, or other NPETs, and producer strategies in terms of innovations' adoption, as well as the potential social benefits resulting from these innovations?…”