College of Economics and Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China.
Economics, Business School, University of Western Australia, Australia.
Appetite. 2020 Apr 1;147:104520. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104520. Epub 2019 Nov 18.
This paper analyses the factors influencing consumer-perceived risks of genetically modified (GM) food by using a structural equation model and survey data of urban residents in China. The sample is divided into the acquainted and unacquainted groups according to consumers' objective knowledge level. An integrated analytical framework is developed. The results show that consumers' positive attitude towards GM technology has a significant negative effect on consumer-perceived risks and that more information reaching consumers significantly reduces consumer-perceived risks of GM food only for the unacquainted group. Consumers' trust in government, biotechnology scientists, press media and food companies does not significantly influence consumer-perceived risks of GM food. This is likely because consumers have low trust in the abovementioned stakeholders of GM food. Consumers think that the information reaching them is limited and does not clearly show the advantages and disadvantages of GM food. Consumers' objective knowledge of GM food is also limited. The health risks of GM food are of high concern for both consumer groups. These findings imply that the commercialization of GM crops in China is dependent on providing consumers with adequate and understandable information about GM food and strict supervision measures for food safety.
本研究采用结构方程模型，利用中国城镇居民调查数据，分析了影响消费者对转基因食品感知风险的因素。根据消费者客观知识水平的不同，将样本分为熟悉组和不熟悉组。构建了综合分析框架。结果表明，消费者对转基因技术的积极态度对消费者对转基因食品的感知风险有显著的负向影响，而向消费者传递更多的信息则显著降低了不熟悉组消费者对转基因食品的感知风险。消费者对政府、生物技术科学家、新闻媒体和食品企业的信任对消费者对转基因食品的感知风险没有显著影响。这可能是因为消费者对转基因食品的上述利益相关者信任度较低。消费者认为他们接收到的信息有限，并且没有清楚地展示转基因食品的优缺点。消费者对转基因食品的客观知识也有限。两组消费者都高度关注转基因食品的健康风险。这些发现意味着，在中国，转基因作物的商业化取决于向消费者提供关于转基因食品的充分和易懂的信息，以及对食品安全的严格监管措施。
