Consumer perceptions of risk, benefit and risk management - Emerging themes in European research Dr Lynn Frewer Professor, Food Safety and Consumer Behaviour

Consumer perceptions of risk, benefit, uncertainty and cost Contextualizing consumer attitudes towards emerging (and converging) technologies

Emerging societal issues in the Agri-food sector Consumer Health Food Safety Food Quality Sustainability

Emerging issues in the agri-food sector Consumer health Westernised countries face a pandemic of obesity Healthy foods Optimal taste Functional foods and ingredients Food Safety Consumers demand safe foods Smart packaging Microbial contamination Pathogen detection Optimal product quality (ripeness)?

Emerging societal issues in the agri-food sector Tracking and tracing Consumers want improved choice Globalisation results in lengthening food chains Introduction of allergens Production processes (GMOs, organic production) Food quality (country of origin) Emerging food risks Sustainability Increasingly important societal issue Efficient production Reduced consumer wastage Environmental protection

Risk (benefit) assessment and emerging societal concerns Human health? Impact on the environment? Ethical concerns (integrity of nature)? Trust in risk analysis? Consumer choice

The key questions that need to be asked What is driving consumer perceptions of risk and benefit? Who trusts whom to inform and regulate? How does this relate to consumer confidence in the food chain and associated science base? Are there cross-cultural, inter- and intra- individual differences in perceptions and information needs? How do other consumer attitudes (ethics, wider value systems) relate to perceptions of risk and benefit? How do the public react to information about risk/benefit uncertainty? How do we understand risk/benefit variability across different population groups What does this mean for consumer decision-making about health, wellbeing, and choice?

Risk Analysis Framework; improving trust through increased transparency? (after WHO,1998) Risk Communication and Stakeholder Involvement Risk Management Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment Which hazards? When are they assessed and with which method? What consequences are judged important, and with what level of uncertainty? Who is affected? Risk Management How do values influence the selection and implementation of policy alternatives? Interactive exchange of information and opinions Risk Communication and Stakeholder Involvement Risk Assessment Which hazards? When are they assessed and with which method? What consequences are judged important, and with what level of uncertainty? Who is affected? Risk Management How do values influence the selection and implementation of policy alternatives? Interactive exchange of information and opinions Risk Communication and Stakeholder Involvement Increased transparency raises more communication needs?

Consumer risk perception The psychology of risk perception drives public risk attitudes An involuntary risk over which people have no control is more threatening than one people choose to take Potentially catastrophic risks concern people most Unnatural (technological) risks are more threatening than natural ones

What went wrong with commercialisation of genetically modified foods? Are there implications for other emerging technologies? Consumer values such as concern about the integrity of nature, and trust in the regulatory system were an important part of societal and consumer acceptance Developing communication about substantial equivalence did not address consumer concerns Control over consumption of GM foods was important to European consumers, necessitating the labelling of GM foods and implementation of effective traceability systems The negative public reaction to GM foods was less to do with risk, and more to do with consumer choice and provision of relevant information Marketing issue, not an ideological issue (“who wants what products and why?”) Opaque risk analysis systems and decision-making practices were not helpful in reassuring the public The absence of 1 st generation products with tangible and desirable consumer benefits

Emerging food technologies Consumers make trade-offs between risk, benefit and cost (including ethical costs) Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis related to specific perceptions of risk and benefit New technologies – consumer attitudes “not starting from zero”

Risk-benefit Management How to reach consensus opinions in stakeholder groups What is acceptable in terms of decision-making? Risk- benefit Assessment Health Environment Social effects Economic effects Ethical issues Risk- benefit Assessment Health Environment Social effects Economic effects Ethical issues Risk-benefit Management How to reach consensus opinions in stakeholder groups What is acceptable in terms of decision-making? A Risk-benefit Analysis Framework; improving trust through increased transparency? Risk – benefit communication Chronic Crisis

Trust in regulatory institutions and risk-benefit governance People may not always have a view regarding different agri-food technology applications or food safety issues Trust in regulatory institutions is important, particularly in the area of potentially controversial applications of emerging technologies

Building societal trust in food risk management: What needs to be communicated?

Structural model – Food risk management quality Proactiv e Opaque Sceptical Trust in honesty Trust in expertise FRM quality (  2(2420)=8429, p<0.01; RMSEA=0.07).

GM Apple Acceptance implementation Genetic Modification Benefits Rejection Factors Gender* Health concer ns Allergic patient** Environ- mental concerns * Female=0, Male=1 ** Non-patient=0, Patient=1 r= R 2 = 0.57 R 2 = Schenck, Fischer and Frewer submitted)

Acceptance implementation Genetic Modification Benefits Rejection Factors Gender* Health concerns Allergic patient** Environ- mental concerns r= R 2 = 0.58 R 2 = 0.06 R 2 = * Female=0, Male=1 ** Non-patient=0, Patient=1 GM Birch Schenck, Fischer and Frewer submitted)

Risks and Benefits Perceptions of what constitutes a benefit important Risk judgements based on Severity Availability Consequences Individual differences in health status influence peoples’ decisions

Emerging food technologies –summary Consumers make trade-offs between risk, benefit and cost (including ethical costs) Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis related to specific perceptions of risk and benefit New technologies – consumer attitudes “not starting from zero”

Risk Analysis framework

Conclusions; Consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnology Emphasis on risk-benefit analysis –assessment (health, environment, socio-economic and ethical impact) –Management (decision-making, stakeholder and citizen priorities) –Communication –Evaluation of consumer perceptions of benefit and risk –Risk-benefit tradeoffs –Individual difference in consumer decision-making Bring together to develop best practice in risk-benefit communication

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