Consumers’ response to genetically modified ingredients in processed food in an emerging economy

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Mirzobobo Yormirzoev
  • Ramona Teuber
Genetically modified (GM) foods are available in many countries including post–Soviet Union countries. However, empirical evidence on consumer acceptance for this region is scarce. In this study, we investigate consumers’ willingness to purchase a processed food containing GM ingredients. For this purpose, a consumer survey was conducted in 2015 in Tajikistan. In many aspects, our results confirm previous empirical findings showing that women are more skeptical toward GM food and a higher level of respondents’ education and the presence of minors in households are negatively correlated with their willingness to purchase a processed food containing GM ingredients. Moreover, a higher risk perception of GM food is negatively associated with the probability to purchase and consume such foods. However, our results indicate that risk perceptions of GM food seem to be relatively low in comparison to other studies with 41.5% of Tajik respondents connecting no risks with GM food. This result is surprising given the existing knowledge about post–Soviet Union consumers who are usually assumed to reject GM food due to their strong focus on naturalness.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing
Volume29
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)297-307
Number of pages11
ISSN0897-4438
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

ID: 182888851