Abstract
Abstract
Beef food safety events have contributed to considerable market volatility, produced
varied consumer reactions, created policy debates, sparked heated trade disputes, and
generally contributed to beef industry frustrations. Better understanding of the forces
causing observed consumer reactions in light of beef food safety events is critical for
policy makers and industry participants. We examine whether consumers altered their
beef consumption behavior because of their risk aversion and risk perceptions stemming
from information about beef food safety in recent years. We use data from a total of
4,000 consumers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Japan to estimate a two-stage
Probit/double-bounded Tobit modeling framework. Results reveal there are stark
differences in risk perceptions and risk aversion regarding beef food safety across
consumers in the four countries and that these differences are revealed through different
beef consumption behavior. An improved understanding of food safety perceptions and
attitudes will enable policy makers and agricultural industries to better anticipate
consumers changing consumption behavior, if a food safety event occurs. Consumers
from the four countries examined exhibited heterogeneous food safety perceptions and
attitudes. Results suggest that food safety management strategies should vary across
countries because of identified differences in food safety risk attitudes and risk
perceptions.
Keywords: Cross-culture; risk attitude, risk perception, food safety, beef
Original language | English |
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Pages | 1-35 |
Publication status | Published - 2007 |
Event | Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting - Duration: 29 Jul 2007 → 1 Aug 2007 |
Conference/symposium
Conference/symposium | Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting |
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Period | 29/07/07 → 1/08/07 |