Would consumers accept CRISPR fruit crops if the benefit has health implications? An application to cranberry products

Authors: MA, XUEYING - Washington State University; GALLARDO, R.KARINA - Washington State University; CANALES, ELIZABETH - Mississippi State University; ATUCHA, AMAYA - University Of Wisconsin; Zalapa, Juan; IORIZZO, MASSIMO - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Agricultural and Resource Economics Review
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2023
Publication Date: 1/8/2024
Citation: Ma, X., Gallardo, R., Canales, E., Atucha, A., Zalapa, J.E., Iorizzo, M. 2024. Would consumers accept CRISPR fruit crops if the benefit has health implications? An application to cranberry products. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. (2024), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2023.38.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2023.38

Interpretive Summary: Cranberry products are perceived as healthy due to their high nutrient content yet adding sugars to increase their palatability deters their consumption. Plant breeding technologies such as gene editing, specifically the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), technology offer a plausible alternative to develop cranberries with desired traits (e.g., acidity, sweetness). We conducted a nationwide survey in the U.S. that included a discrete choice experiment to assess consumers' willingness to pay for sugar content, CRISPR, and cranberry flavor intensity. The survey was conducted under different nutrition-related information treatments. Respondents stated a discount for regular sugar content favoring reduced sugar products, for CRISPR compared to conventional breeding, and for a weak cranberry flavor. The discount for the regular sugar content was higher than for CRISPR. Highlighting cranberries' health benefits and recommendations to limit sugar intake increased consumers’ discounts for regular sugar content, surpassing the discount for CRISPR. This research underscores the importance of understanding consumers’ preferences and the conditions under which breeding technologies might gain public acceptance. This information will benefit the scientific community and industry seeking to use CRISPR to develop improved cranberry cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Cranberry products are perceived as healthy due to their high phytochemical content yet adding sugars to increase their palatability deters their consumption. Plant breeding technologies such as gene editing, specifically the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), offer a plausible alternative to develop cranberries with desired traits (e.g., acidity, sweetness). We conducted a nationwide survey in the U.S. that included a discrete choice experiment to assess consumers' willingness to pay for sugar content, CRISPR, and cranberry flavor intensity. The survey was conducted under different nutrition-related information treatments. Respondents stated a discount for regular sugar content favoring reduced sugar products, for CRISPR compared to conventional breeding, and for a weak cranberry flavor. The discount for the regular sugar content was higher than for CRISPR. Highlighting cranberries' health benefits and recommendations to limit sugar intake increased consumers’ discounts for regular sugar content, surpassing the discount for CRISPR. This research underscores the importance of understanding consumers’ preferences and the conditions under which breeding technologies might gain public acceptance. This information will benefit the scientific community and industry seeking to use CRISPR to develop improved cranberry cultivars.