Consumer Willingness to pay for Genetically Enhanced Foods in Nigeria: The Role of Nutrition and Process Information

Consumer resistance to novel food technologies, such as genetic modification (GM) and gene editing (GED), is often attributed to a limited understanding of the underlying scientific processes. Literature suggests that providing information about the processes may influence consumer acceptance, but evidence remains inconsistent across regions. This study examines how information on genetic engineering processes influences consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for genetically engineered foods in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where food and nutrition insecurity are pressing issues. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in Nigeria and a randomized experimental design, we subjected respondents to two types of information treatments: one emphasizing the health benefits of a nutritionally enhanced cassava product ("gari") and another that additionally explained the scientific processes behind conventional breeding, GM, GED. The data were analyzed using mixed logit models, comparing full attendance with stated and inferred attribute non-attendance (ANA) specifications. The results show consumers are willing to pay a premium for enhanced micronutrient content. However, information detailing scientific processes increased consumer aversion toward GM and GED methods. Importantly, providing process information significantly reduced instances of ANA behaviour, with stated ANA models offering the best fit to the data. While our findings suggest that efforts to scale up these technologies to address micronutrient deficiency and other nutrition insecurities in Africa are likely to succeed, other concerns about market prospects remain. We discuss these concerns and other market implications of the findings.