GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES - Genetically Engineered Crops in America - page 52

GE technology reduces the effects of negative information on the perception
of GE foods, but could increase concern for health. Boccaletti and Moro
(2000) found that previous knowledge increased the willingness-to-pay for
positive GE attributes, while Lusk (2003) found that lack of previous
knowledge increased willingness-to-pay.
Other studies have found that consumers value certain types of
information. Hu et al. (2009) argued that those choosing to access information
about GE foods may be different types of consumers than those who don't
access information about GE foods. They found that consumers who
voluntarily access general information on GE foods are more likely to buy
them, while those who access environmental information related to GE foods
are less likely to buy them. Rousu and Lusk (2009) found that providing
consumers with information on the environment was more likely to change
consumer purchasing behavior with respect to GE foods, while information on
the beneficial impact of GE foods in developing countries created more value
for the consumer.
Evidence from Retail Settings
Market settings offer examples of retailers' efforts to consider consumer
preferences for GE foods. Some retailers do not have policies that explicitly
address GE foods. Other retailers, mostly in the EU, have explicit policies
stating that GE ingredients will not be used in their brand name food
products. 39 Some companies have even introduced lines of meat and eggs from
animals not fed on GE feed (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 2007; ASDA,
2011; Carrefour, 2011b; ECCC, 2008; Tesco, 2011; SHAFE, 2011).
Lusk et al. (2005) found that consumers in Europe were willing to pay
more for non-GE foods than consumers in other regions. Thus, we might
expect to see more responsiveness on the part of European retailers, and
indeed some of them have developed auditing procedures for their suppliers
(Tesco, 2011). Store visits by researchers in 10 EU countries found few
(between 1 and 27) products with GE ingredients in grocery stores in 7 of the
countries (King's College, 2008). The results of Mather et al. (2011) suggest
that there may be circumstances under which consumers in a few EU countries
would purchase GE foods.
A market exists for non-GE products in the United States, as some U.S.
retailers do offer non-GE products, and U.S. consumers wishing to avoid GE
ingredients may also purchase organic products. However, the share of this