Factors affecting cattle producers’ willingness to adopt an Escherichia coli O157:H7 vaccine: a probit analysis

E. coli O157:H7 bacteria – a major cause of foodborne illness – occur naturally in the intestine of cattle but do not affect the health or productivity of the animal. A cattle vaccine that significantly reduces the risk of E. coli contamination was developed and commercialized in Canada and internationally, however, adoption by cattle producers remained extremely low. Utilizing data from a survey of cow-calf producers in western Canada, this paper examines the factors affecting cattle producers’ willingness to adopt the E. coli vaccine. Education, prior awareness of the vaccine, perception of who holds primary responsibility for E. coli risk reduction, and a producer’s external (versus internal) locus of control with respect to their ability to mitigate E. coli risks within the production environment are significant determinants of willingness to adopt. Adoption incentives are also evaluated, including policy interventions, market/supply chain incentives, production protocol, and producer reputation incentives. The analysis provides lessons for the development and commercialization of vaccines and other food safety intervention strategies that yield societal and supply chain benefits beyond the individual adopter.