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Abstract
Growing concerns about pesticide residues in fresh produce could result in increased
demand for low-input agriculture with reduced pesticide residues, and decreased
demand for conventional fresh produce. The objective of this study was to empirically
evaluate consumer concern about pesticide residues and analyze the effect of sociodemographic
factors on pesticide residue concern. Two separate surveys were used to
provide data about consumer risk perceptions and demographic characteristics.
Statistical models using data from both surveys show that females are approximately 9
to 14 percent more likely to be risk averse toward pesticides than males. Furthermore,
both surveys indicate that households with children are more likely to be risk averse
than those without children. Specifically, the earlier survey (1990) indicates that
households with at least one child were 11 percent more likely to be risk averse than
households without children. The more recent survey (1997) shows households with
two or more children to be 22 percent more likely to be risk averse. Those who
frequently purchase organic produce and those who grew vegetables for consumption
in their home were both found to be at least 18 percent more likely to be risk averse
than those who did not. Individuals over 35 years of age are more likely to have high
levels of risk aversion toward pesticide residues and suburban households were found
to be 10 percent more likely than rural or urban households to be risk averse. The
result also indicated that households with higher levels of income and education
generally exhibit lower risk aversions.
With sustainable and environmentally safer forms of agriculture likely to comprise a
more significant share of the nation’s food production, marketing research must be
implemented to ascertain public willingness-to-purchase of such produce. Predicting
which consumers are likely to have high concerns about synthetic pesticide residues
should be beneficial to identifying those who are more likely to purchase low-input
agriculture such as IPM and organically grown produce.