Behavioral Intentions Toward Genetically Modified Food in the U.K.

Abstract

This article uses web-based survey data (WTA and WTP) collected in the UK to examine the relationship between consumers’ behavioral intention with regard to GM food and willingness to pay premium for nonGM food. In particular, we link the probability of participating in GM food market to four types of consumers identified from responses to WTP questions: (i) those who are unsure whether to pay a premium for nonGM food (Don’t Know), (ii) those protesting the notion of paying a premium (Protest), (iii) those willing to pay premium for nonGM food, and (iv) those unwilling to pay premium. Intriguingly, the estimated results show that protest respondents were more likely to buy GM foods, while unsure respondents were not predisposed to participate in the market for GM food when price differentials develop between GM and nonGM foods. Implications for the contingent valuation methods eliciting both WTP and WTA are discussed.