Past studies have shown that country of origin labeling (COOL) affects consumers' demand for food products. However, besides the rationale of ethnocentrism or the desire to support domestic farmers, the underlying motivation for such behavior is not well understood. This study assesses consumers' preferences for imported and domestic beef through a choice experiment. We found that willingness to pay for country-of-origin labeled imported beefsteak is associated with (a) consumers' perceptions of the categorical risk from consuming beef, (b) consumers' risk aversion to risks from beef consumption, and (c) consumers' perceptions of the food-safety level of imported beef. Results from this study suggest that the advantage of domestic beef over imported beef can be partly explained by consumers' risk handling behavior. [EconLit citations: Q130]. C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

While previous studies have investigated country‐of‐origin effect from various angles, the extent to which Country‐of‐Origin Labelling (COOL) affects U.S. beef imports from specific countries remains unexplored. Using data from 1,079 consumers from the United States, we examined consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for Canadian and Australian beefsteaks. We also estimated WTP for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)–tested traceability‐enabled, tenderness‐assured, and natural beef. The results from both a mixed logit model and a latent class model (LCM) revealed unobserved taste heterogeneity and important differences in the WTP between the imported and domestic steak. The LCM, for instance, estimated the range of discount needed for consumers to switch from U.S. to Canadian steak as $1.09 to $35.12 per pound. This strongly suggested that U.S. consumers prefer domestic‐originated beef to imported beef. In addition, consumers were found to be willing to pay significant amount for BSE‐tested, traceability‐enabled, and tenderness‐assured beef. Bien que des études antérieures aient examiné les répercussions de l’étiquetage du pays d’origine sous différents angles, les répercussions de cet étiquetage obligatoire sur les importations étatsuniennes de bœuf en provenance de pays spécifiques ne l’ont pas été. À l’aide de données tirées d’un échantillon de 1079 consommateurs étatsuniens, nous avons examiné le consentement à payer (CAP) pour du bifteck en provenance du Canada et de l’Australie. Nous avons également examiné le CAP des consommateurs pour du bœuf provenant d’un animal ayant subi un test de dépistage de l’ESB, traçable, de tendreté assurée et naturel. Les résultats obtenus à l’aide d’un modèle logit mixte et d’un modèle à classes latentes ont révélé une hétérogénéité non observée du goût et des écarts importants dans le CAP pour du bifteck provenant des États‐Unis et de l’extérieur du pays. Le modèle à classes latentes, par exemple, a révélé que les écarts de rabais nécessaires pour que les consommateurs délaissent le bifteck américain pour le bifteck canadien variaient de 1,09 $à 35,12 $ la livre. Ces résultats montrent clairement que les consommateurs étatsuniens préfèrent le bœuf des États‐Unis plutôt que le bœuf importé. Les résultats montrent également que les consommateurs sont prêts à payer plus cher pour du bœuf provenant d’un animal ayant subi un test de dépistage de l’ESB, traçable et de tendreté assurée.

Levels of conjugated linoleic acid, which may help prevent cancer, can be elevated in milk. A sensory evaluation, willingness-to-pay survey, and feasibility analysis suggest that profi potential exists for producers serving niche markets via small-scale processing ventures. Households with children and health-conscious consumers appear most willing to pay premiums for "cancer-fighting dairy products. Consumer demand and the legality of health claims hinge on pending medical research outcomes.

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An experimental store was created to evaluate initial demand for locally produced and guaranteed tender steak products as a more realistic alternative to contingent valuation (CV) and dichotomous‐choice experimental methods. Strengths of the approach are incentive compatibility, a realistic consumption set, and a familiar choice environment. Consumers selected among USDA Choice, premium quality, lean, guaranteed tender and locaily produced strip steaks. A double‐hurdle count data model indicated initial willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for locally produced steak comparable to prior CV results, but demand was highly elastic. Demand for premium quality steak crowded out demand for the guaranteed tender product, contrasting with prior dichotomous‐choice experimental results.

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