Number of
respondents
Figure 3. Frequencies of WTPs presented as a multiple choice question. (the average prices for ground
beef and roast beef were FIM 33/kg and 50/kg, respectively)
5. Conclusions
In the beef supply chain there are two parallel information-based policies in Finland, which will
increase the credence characteristics of beef quality and safety.
• First, the National Quality Strategy was drawn up by all parties involved in foodstuffs
production to express the competitive advantages and strengths of Finnish food products
relating to quality, safety, ethics, and ecology.
• Second, a beef identification and labelling system of the European Union was developed
primarily to secure the safety of beef products and to increase the transparency and traceability
of beef products in the supply chain. Through these systems more information about the
credence characteristics of beef safety and quality will be made available to consumers.
Survey results indicate that:
• 59 % of Finnish consumers are willing to pay more to get information about safety and quality
of beef products.
• Zero-WTP (41 %) for additional information exists mainly because consumers feel that the
present labels guarantee the safety and quality already well enough.
• Consumers are most concerned with diseases caused by food of animal origin.
• Consumers desire more information about the use of GMOs in livestock production, the
country of origin, and use of hormones in livestock production.
• Public authorities and policies are regarded as the most reliable source of the information
concerning safety and quality of food products.
In more general terms, we can conclude that in the future the demand for better information of all
quality attributes of food products will be satisfied to a growing extent by electronic databases and
other electronic business means of modern information technology. Then consumers will easily be
able to check, inter alia, the origins, production practices, and processing- and delivery-related details
of food products. This creates a new possibility to develop local, high quality and very safe products
for certain, selected consumer segments, which are looking for more reliable and consistent
information than what is currently available for their choices and purchases of food products. Hence,
further research should be directed at a more accurate analysis of different consumer groups and their