Exploring Consumer Willingness to Pay for Food Safety in Produce: A Focus on Small vs. Large Farms

Abstract

Multiple studies have investigated consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices for produce grown under conditions that are more regulated and safer than those of conventionally grown crops. However, little is known about whether the presence of food safety labels and farm size affects consumer willingness to pay for produce at premium prices. The purpose of this study was to identify consumer willingness to pay for produce with a food safety label from various farm sizes to determine consumer food safety preferences. An online survey was conducted with consumers (n = 914), which included a willingness to pay section with four scenarios to purchase produce. Each scenario included farm size, label, and inspection status. A significant majority of consumers expressed a willingness to pay premium price for produce with a food safety label from both small- sized farms (72%; p < 0.001) and large-sized farms (69%; p < 0.001). However, 36% said they were willing to pay a premium of no more than 10% for produce from small-sized farms. The findings of this study indicate an increased price to consumers may not be suitable motivation for farmers to adopt on-farm food safety practices, suggesting other on-farm food safety techniques should be investigated.