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The urban–rural gap in the demand for food safety in China: The role of food label knowledge

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  • Satoru Shimokawa
  • Dezhuang Hu
  • Dandan Li
  • Hong Cheng

Abstract

Despite the national promotion of food safety measures, a substantial urban–rural gap remains in the demand for food safety in China. To explain this gap, we explore the role of knowledge of food safety labels. We measure demand using the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for the green food label and the organic food label for rice and pork in urban and rural areas. We employ discrete choice experiments and the control function approach to control for potential endogeneity problems. The results show that the MWTP for the labels is significantly positive among people with label knowledge but insignificant or even negative among people without label knowledge, and the urban–rural gap in the MWTP is larger among the former than among the latter. These knowledge‐related differences explain 8–29% of the urban–rural gap in the MWTP for the green food label. Our findings imply that improving knowledge about the green food label could potentially be effective in reducing the urban–rural gap, while our results also imply the existence of a future challenge for the government in promoting label knowledge more effectively in rural China.

Suggested Citation

  • Satoru Shimokawa & Dezhuang Hu & Dandan Li & Hong Cheng, 2021. "The urban–rural gap in the demand for food safety in China: The role of food label knowledge," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(2), pages 175-193, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:52:y:2021:i:2:p:175-193
    DOI: 10.1111/agec.12613
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    4. Xingyuan Wang & Yingying Du & Yun Liu & Shuyang Wang, 2022. "Telling You More Fluently: Effect of the Joint Presentation of Eco-Label Information on Consumers’ Purchase Intention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Longzhong Shi & Xuan Chen & Bo Chen, 2023. "Covid‐19‐tested food labels," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(2), pages 203-230, June.
    6. Maertens, Annemie & Wollni, Meike & Wei, Jaizhu & Li, Lingzhi & Zhou, Li, 2023. "Reducing antibiotics: Evidence from an Experiment among Poultry Farmers in China," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335494, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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