Consumers' valuation of cultured beef Burger: A Multi-Country investigation using choice experiments. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Asioli, Daniele; Fuentes-Pila, Joaquìn; Alarcón, Silverio; Han, Jia; Liu, Jingjing; Hocquette, Jean-Francois; Nayga, Rodolfo M.
• Is Part Of: Food policy. Volume 112(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Choice experiment -- Consumers' attitudes -- Consumers' willingness to pay -- Cross-country comparison -- Cultured beef; Food supply -- Periodicals; Food security -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food Supply -- Periodicals; Alimentation -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 338.1905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102376
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-9192

Abstract

Highlights: Choice experiments were employed to investigate consumers' valuation of cultured beef. 648 consumers were interviewed in the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Spanish and French consumers reject cultured beef, while British are more positive. Older and neophobic consumers tend to reject more cultured beef. Heterogeneity in consumers' valuation among different consumer clusters was identified. Abstract: This study investigates, for the first time, British, Spanish, and French consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for cultured beef burger. Using a choice experiment (CE) involving beef burgers, our results show that Spanish and French consumers reject cultured beef burgers, while British consumers exhibit a more positive valuation for this new product. Furthermore, we found that younger consumers and those with a lower degree of neophobia towards new food technologies tend to be more accepting of cultured beef. Results also suggest that there is heterogeneity in consumers' valuation across different consumer groups. In each of the three countries, a segment of consumers willing to pay a premium price for cultured beef burger was identified: the United Kingdom has the largest segment of consumers (47%) willing to pay a premium price of 5.10 £/kg for cultured beef, followed by Spain (38% and 3.35 €/kg) and then France (30% and 2.68 €/kg). Our findings provide insights into the psychology of consumers' level of acceptance and attitudes, which can be useful in communicating the nature of the cultured meat to the public. They also have important implications for food practitioners and policy makers.