Consumer confidence and consumers’ preferences for infant formulas in China

doi:10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62589-X

Journal of Integrative Agriculture ›› 2019, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (8): 1793-1803.DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62589-X

收稿日期:2018-06-21 出版日期:2019-08-01 发布日期:2019-08-02

Consumer confidence and consumers’ preferences for infant formulas in China

LI Sai-wei¹, ZHU Chen², CHEN Qi-hui², LIU Yu-mei¹

¹ College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, P.R.China
² Center for Food and Health Economic Research, College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, P.R.China

Received:2018-06-21 Online:2019-08-01 Published:2019-08-02
Contact: Correspondence LIU Yu-mei, E-mail: ymliu8028@cau.edu.cn
About author:LI Sai-wei, E-mail: lisaiwei@cau.edu.cn;
Supported by:
This study was funded by a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (05162130111242003) and Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Centre (SDDDC2017R02).

摘要/Abstract

Abstract:

A series of safety incidents related to domestically-produced infant formulas (DIFs) almost destroyed Chinese consumer confidence in domestic dairy products. Understanding consumer confidence and its effect on consumption behavior is important to restore consumer confidence and enhance the competitiveness of domestic dairy industry. This article first measures Chinese consumer confidence in DIFs safety using a two-dimension scale (optimism and pessimism) and then investigates its effect on consumers’ preferences for DIFs through a choice experiment. Involving 450 consumers residing in Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, the experiment elicited information on their preferences for DIFs with six attributes (organic raw milk, farm-to-table traceability, region of origin, quality certification, animal welfare, and price). Our analysis yields four findings. First, Chinese consumers still lack confidence in DIFs safety. Second, quality certification is the most preferred product characteristic, followed by organic raw milk and farm-to-table traceability. Third, serving as a signal of high quality, price exerts a positive impact on choices of DIFs for pessimistic consumers. Finally, consumer preferences for farm-to-table traceability and region of origin are significantly influenced by consumer confidence.

Key words: consumer confidence , food safety , infant formula , choice experiment , willingness to pay , China

. [J]. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2019, 18(8): 1793-1803.

LI Sai-wei, ZHU Chen, CHEN Qi-hui, LIU Yu-mei. Consumer confidence and consumers’ preferences for infant formulas in China[J]. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2019, 18(8): 1793-1803.

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Consumer confidence and consumers’ preferences for infant formulas in China

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