How Do Preference and Perception of Risks Affect Willingness-To-Pay for Food Safety?

Foodborne illnesses are costly to society and have been associated with local produce. The affordable “3-step wash” cleaning procedure was designed to reduce pathogens on produce. We estimate consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for food safety (i.e. 3-step washed), prepackage, and sales location attributes in locally grown produce (e.g., lettuce). On average, consumers are willing to pay $1.46 more for 3-step washed and $0.30 more for prepackaged lettuce. Additionally, consumers are willing to pay $0.16 more for fresh produce sold in natural stores and farmers markets compared to supermarkets, but $0.22 less for produce sold in other direct-to-consumer locations such as roadside stands. Higher WTP for the food safety attribute is associated with consumers who have greater risk aversion, less knowledge of foodborne illness, and stricter food safety cleaning and handling practices. Consumers highly concerned about foodborne risks also show higher WTP for both food safety and prepackage attributes. These findings can guide local farmers in making decisions about adopting pathogen-reduction cleaning procedures, selecting sales locations, and developing effective marketing strategies.