Consumer Attitudes toward Genetically Modified Food in Norway

There is a lack of public acceptance of genetically modified (GM) food products in Europe. Using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation methodology, we find that willingness to accept (WTA) for GM food in Norway is positively affected (i.e. a greater discount is required) by higher levels of self-reported risk perceptions toward GM-food and preferences for domestically produced food. The estimation results show that self-reported knowledge about biotechnology increases WTA while higher levels of formal education decrease the WTA for GM-foods. Also, respondents who have a high level of concern about food safety have a higher WTA for GM food. Further, we estimate mean willingness to accept for GM food products. Our results indicate that our sample on average wants a 47.7% discount on GM bread compared to conventional bread. For GM-salmon a 56.0% discount compared to non-GM salmon is necessary.