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Consumer responses to plant viruses in the context of an emerging agri-food risk: A cross-country comparison

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Andy Jin, Johny HilaireORCiD, Dr Mercy Ojo, Dr Sophie Tindale, Dr Francisco ArealORCiD, Dr Glyn Jones, Professor Lynn FrewerORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Plant viruses cause economic losses in fruit and vegetable supply chains, which is a concern to government, and industry stakeholders, including this involved in primary production. There is increasing scientific knowledge about potential environmental impacts and (the lack of) human health risks associated with plant viruses. However, there is currently limited understanding of consumer perceptions of this emerging agri-food issue, which hinders effective risk management and communication. Consumers’ risk perceptions of fruits and vegetables infected by plant viruses were assessed using an online survey. Data were collected in Belgium (n = 649), Slovenia (n = 597), Spain (n = 649), and the United Kingdom (n = 641), representing countries within the European region with different regulatory approaches to plant health risk analysis and different agronomic conditions. Participants from different countries reported medium levels of risk perceptions and intentions to avoid purchases of infected fruits and vegetables, with the highest levels observed for Spanish participants. Stronger pro-environmental attitudes and risk perceptions contributed to expressed intention to avoid purchases. Plant viruses evoked medium levels of negative emotions (disgust, fear and worry), increasing participants’ risk perceptions. Participants who indicated that they were aware that virus infections can increase the resistance of host plants to abiotic and biotic stresses also held greater risk perceptions. Greater trust in plant virus-related information provided by scientists was associated with higher risk perceptions. Trust in government resulted in lower intentions of avoiding purchases. Policy implications to enhance food risk management and communication associated with plant viruses are proposed.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Jin S, Yang G, Hilaire J, Ojo M, Tindale S, Areal F, Jones G, Frewer LJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Risk Research

Year: 2024

Pages: epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 05/11/2024

Acceptance date: 09/09/2024

Date deposited: 10/09/2024

ISSN (print): 1366-9877

ISSN (electronic): 1466-4461

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2024.2421001

DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2024.2421001

ePrints DOI: 10.57711/jnrs-gp31

Data Access Statement: The survey data will be made available on the open repository Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/) after the paper is accepted.


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme
INEXVIR project (Innovative Network for Next Generation Training and Sequencing of Virome) under Grant Agreement No. 813542.

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