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‘If labels for GM food were present, would consumers trust them?’ Insights from a consumer survey in Uganda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2013

Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe ,
José Falck-Zepeda  and
Justus Wesseler
Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe
Affiliation:
Georg-August-University Goettingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Platz der Goettinger Sieben 5, 37073 Goettingen, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
José Falck-Zepeda
Affiliation:
Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Justus Wesseler
Affiliation:
Technische Universitaet München, Agricultural and Food Economics, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Food labelling is costly. Food labelling is often demanded with the introduction of new food products such as genetically modified (GM) food. If consumers do not have trust in the label, scarce resources are wasted. This paper investigates factors affecting the trust in food labels among Ugandan consumers. The results suggest that older, less-educated individuals of smaller household sizes and with trust in government institutions have more trust in food labels. Other factors were also found to be important. The government has to consider those differences in consumer trust when designing a GM labelling policy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Environment and Development Economics , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , December 2014 , pp. 786 - 805
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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