미국 소비자의 GM농식품 의무적 표시제를 위한 추가지불 의향 (U.S. Consumers’ Estimation for Mandatory Labeling Policy toward GM Foods)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국소비자학회
· 수록지 정보 : 소비자학연구 / 20권 / 3호 / 61 ~ 74페이지
· 저자명 : 한재환

초록

GM농식품의 의무적 표시를 위한 미국 소비자의 추가 지불의향과 추가 지불수준을 분석하기 위해 미 전역에 거주하는 소비자 4,000명을 대상으로 우편설문 조사가 실시되었다. 미국 인구분포를 현실적으로 반영하기 위해 조사지역은 북동부, 남부, 서부, 중서부 등 4개 지역으로 구분되어 설문지가 배포되었다.
조사 응답자의 71.1%는 자발적 표시제보다 의무적 표시제를 선호하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 하지만 의무적 표시제를 요구하는 응답자 가운데 실제로 의무적 표시제를 위해 프리미엄을 지불할 의사가 있는 비중은 57.4%에 불과하여 최종 의사결정 단계에서 경제적 요인을 매우 중요하게 고려함을 알 수 있다. 헤크만(Heckman)의 2단계 추정모델에서도 의무적 표시를 위한 소비자 지불의향과 다양한 변수들 간에 유의한 관계가 나타났지만 실제 지불의사 결정 단계에서는 지불의향의 비중이 그대로 반영되지 않고 있음을 알 수 있다. 이는 소비자들이 소득 및 가격 같은
경제적 요인에 매우 민감하다는 것을 암시한다.

영어초록

The conceptual model for analyzing U.S. consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for mandatory labeling policy toward GM foods is Rogers and Shoemaker’s Innovation-Decision model. Innovation-Decision model shows consumer’s cognitive process for willingness to pay a premium for mandatory labeling policy. Consumers’ willingness to pay a premium is affected by various types of information, which have a direct effect on consumers’ GM knowledge and an indirect effect on attitude toward GM foods.
An empirical model for the study is Heckman two-step model which consists of both the sample selection equation in the first stage and outcome equation in the second stage. In the first stage a consumer is asked whether he is willing to pay a premium for mandatory labeling. In the second stage he who says yes in the first question is asked the largest percentage premium level he would be willing to pay. That is, consumers’ percentage premium for the
mandatory labeling policy is observed only when his willingness to pay is bigger than zero. In Heckman model, probit model is used in the first stage and ordinary least squares is employed in the second stage.
Factors that have influence on consumers’ maximum premium level are as follows; i) consumers’ GM knowledge; ii) acceptance of GM foods; iii) trust in government; iv) regions; v) area residing; vi) sex; vii) marital status; viii) age; ix) race; v)education; vi)income.
The study conducted a national survey for the analysis. According to the U.S. census bureau in 2003, the sample was stratified by four geographic regions, where were west, midwest, south, northeast, to represent the current U.S. population distribution. The number of questionnaire sent to west is 880, midwest 920, south 1,400, and northeast 800. An overall response rate
was 12.3%, and net response rate was about 10%.
To decrease a hypothetical bias of contingent valuation method(CVM), the follow-up certainty question was employed. In the follow-up certainty question respondents were asked to rate on a scale how sure they were that they would actually pay. The follow-up question is as follows; “what is the largest percentage premium you would be willing to pay?”
A survey showed that 71.1% of respondents preferred a mandatory labeling policy. However, only 57.4% of respondents who had a preference toward mandatory labeling policy were actually willing to pay a premium. The study found that consumers’ acceptance and trust in government had expected signs but insignificant effect on the premium level for mandatory labeling policy. In addition, results suggested that an economic factor, such as
income, had significantly influenced the premium level for mandatory labeling policy. It turned out that most of variables were insignificant in premium equation.
Results provide implications for the Korean government toward GM food policy. The Korean society is divided into two parts for GM labeling policy. Consumer and environment groups are against the current GM labeling policy, asking the tighter GM labeling policy. On the other hand, food enterprises are for the current GM labeling policy, insisting that GM
labeling policy implemented is very appropriate and reasonable for our society and nation, considering GM food safety, costs, and benefits. An important issue is that when food prices increase by strengthening the GM labeling policy, as expected, whether consumers pay more. The study implies that the Korean consumers will also be very sensitive for an economic factor like US consumers. A recent research demonstrated that the Korean consumers with fears about GM foods to some extent had no intention to pay more for foods which prices increased.

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