Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on consumers' perceptions of genetically modified food

Qian Ding; Fangbin Qiao; Jikun Huang

doi:10.1080/21645698.2023.2204051

Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on consumers' perceptions of genetically modified food

GM Crops Food. 2023 Dec 31;14(1):1-13. doi: 10.1080/21645698.2023.2204051.

Authors

Qian Ding¹, Fangbin Qiao¹, Jikun Huang²

Affiliations

¹ China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Haidian, Beijing, China.
² China Center for Agricultural Policy, Peking University, Haidian, Beijing, China.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated significant economic loss and an unprecedented challenge to people's livelihoods. Using household data collected in November 2020, this study shows that the COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected consumers' perceptions and consumption of genetically modified (GM) food in China. Their perceptions and purchase intentions have turned more negative, and their actual purchase of GM food has decreased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The study's results also indicate that consumers with more knowledge of genetic modification technology are less likely to change their perceptions of GM food.

Keywords: COVID-19; Consumer perception; genetically modified food; purchase behavior; purchase intention.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Consumer Behavior
Food, Genetically Modified*
Intention
Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71773150), The National Key Program on Genetically Modified New Varieties (2016ZX0815001, 2018ZX08015001).