Emerging markets for imported beef in China: Results from a consumer choice experiment in Beijing

- Chinese consumers have high demand for food safety assurance in beef products.
- Consumers are willing to pay more for Australian beef products than for US or domestic beef.
- Consumers prefer Green Food to Organic certification.
- Consumers are currently not willing to pay a high premium for animal welfare information.

The purpose of this study is to explore emerging markets for imported beef in China by assessing Beijing consumer demand for quality attributes. This study utilizes data from an in-store choice experiment to evaluate consumer willingness-to-pay for select food quality attributes (food safety, animal welfare, Green Food and Organic certification) taking into account country-of-origin information. Our results show that Beijing consumers value food safety information the most, and are willing to pay more for Australian beef products than for US or domestic (Chinese) beef. We explore the various relationships between the quality attributes, find evidence of preference heterogeneity and discuss agribusiness and marketing implications of our findings.