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Marketing Biotech Soybeans with Functional Health Attributes

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  • S. Kambua Chema
  • Leonie A. Marks
  • Joseph L. Parcell
  • Maury Bredahl

Abstract

This study investigates possible marketing strategies for biotechnology (biotech) functional foods in the U.S. market. Means‐end chain theory is used to translate consumer product knowledge into self‐knowledge, where knowledge is presumed to be organized in a hierarchy with concrete thoughts linked to more abstract thoughts in a sequence progressing from means to ends. A sample of 60 households was randomly drawn from the population of a Midwest town. The random sample was drawn from a population of females aged 20 to 50 with children and who regularly purchase yogurt products. Eight products with various attributes and production technologies were ranked by the participants prior to a hard laddering interview. The study found that biotech functional foods were generally acceptable to the participants. Functional attributes, such as higher protein, increased calcium, and lower cholesterol, were valued by the consumers. Soy was considered inferior on the basis of taste for some segments of consumers unfamiliar with soymilk. On the other hand, consumers already purchasing soymilk were more willing to purchase functional soy attributes and have more complex purchasing decisions (cognitive maps). These consumers associate soy with attaining values of “better health,”“taking care of family,”“happiness,” and “more choice.” La présente étude a examiné les stratégies de marketing possibles pour les aliments fonctionnels issus de la biotechnologie sur le marchéétatsunien. La méthode de la chaîne moyens‐fins a été utilisée pour traduire la connaissance du consommateur sur le produit en connaissance de soi, où la connaissance est présumée être structurée en hiérarchie d'idées concrètes liées à des idées plus abstraites dans un ordre progressant des moyens vers les fins. Nous avons formé un échantillon aléatoire de soixante ménages d'une ville du Midwest. L'échantillon aléatoire a été sélectionné parmi une population de femmes âgées de 20 à 50 ans qui avaient des enfants et qui achetaient régulièrement du yogourt. Huit produits renfermant des attributs variés et issus de technologies de production variées ont d'abord été classés par les participants avant de procéder aux entrevues effectuées selon la technique du laddering. Les résultats ont montré que les aliments fonctionnels issus de la biotechnologie convenaient généralement aux participants. Les attributs des aliments fonctionnels tels que plus élevé en protéines, les plus élevé en calcium et faible en cholestérol étaient valorisés par les consommateurs. Le soja est arrivé en dernier pour le goût chez certains consommateurs qui connaissaient mal le lait de soja. Par contre, consommateurs qui achetaient déjà du lait de soja étaient plus enclins à acheter les attributs fonctionnels du soja et avaient des décisions d'achats plus complexes (cartes cognitives). Ces consommateurs associaient le soja à des valeurs telles que ≪ meilleure santé≫, ≪ s'occuper de la famille ≫, ≪ bonheur ≫ et ≪ choix élargi ≫.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Kambua Chema & Leonie A. Marks & Joseph L. Parcell & Maury Bredahl, 2006. "Marketing Biotech Soybeans with Functional Health Attributes," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 54(4), pages 685-703, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:canjag:v:54:y:2006:i:4:p:685-703
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7976.2006.00073.x
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    1. Chema, Kambua & Marks, Leonie A. & Parcell, Joseph L. & Bredahl, Maury E., 2004. "Marketing Of Biotech Functional Foods In The Us," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20284, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
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    1. Osman Gulseven & Michael Wohlgenant, 2015. "A quality-based approach to estimating quantitative elasticities for differentiated products: an application to retail milk demand," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 2077-2096, September.
    2. Hansson, Helena & Lagerkvist, Carl Johan, 2015. "Identifying use and non-use values of animal welfare: Evidence from Swedish dairy agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 35-42.
    3. Gulseven, Osman & Wohlgenant, Michael K., 2010. "A Hedonic Metric Approach to Estimating the Demand for Differentiated Products: An Application to Retail Milk Demand," 84th Annual Conference, March 29-31, 2010, Edinburgh, Scotland 91675, Agricultural Economics Society.
    4. Ramo Barrena & Mercedes Sánchez, 2010. "The link between household structure and the level of abstraction in the purchase decision process: an analysis using a functional food," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 243-264.
    5. Renee B. KIM, 2010. "A multi-attribute model of Japanese consumer's purchase intention for GM foods," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 56(10), pages 449-459.
    6. Parcell, Joseph L. & Cain, Jewelwayne S., 2013. "Drought Tolerance of Soybean Crops in Missouri," 2013 Annual Meeting, February 2-5, 2013, Orlando, Florida 142507, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    7. Armenak Markosyan & Jill J. McCluskey & Thomas I. Wahl, 2009. "Consumer Response to Information about a Functional Food Product: Apples Enriched with Antioxidants," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 57(3), pages 325-341, September.
    8. Osman GULSEVEN & Michael WOHLGENANT, 2017. "What are the factors affecting the consumers' milk choices?," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 63(6), pages 271-282.
    9. Bechtold, Kai-Brit & Abdulai, Awudu, 2012. "Willingness-To-Pay for Functional Dairy Products and the Influence of Starting Point Bias: Empirical Evidence for Germany," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124776, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Bechtold, Kai-Brit & Abdulai, Awudu, 2013. "Combining Likert scale attitudinal statements with choice experiments to analyze pref-erence heterogeneity for functional dairy products," 87th Annual Conference, April 8-10, 2013, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 158851, Agricultural Economics Society.
    11. Bechtold, Kai-Brit & Abdulai, Awudu, 2012. "Using Choice Experiments to Measure Consumers’ Preferences for Functional Dairy Products in Germany: Are Willingness-To-Pay Estimates Affected by Starting Point Bias?," 86th Annual Conference, April 16-18, 2012, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 135073, Agricultural Economics Society.

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