Research Reports
A Study on the Socio-economic Influence of Consumers' Safety Concerns on Animal Products
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AuthorHwang, Yunjae
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Publication Date2010.12.01
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Original
The main purpose of this study is to understand scientific, institutional, economical, social, and psychological aspects related to animal diseases and discuss how to improve current risk management and risk communication systems and strategies. The main animal diseases included in the study are foot-and-mouth disease(FMD), avian influenza(AI), bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE), and salmonellosis. This study consists of six chapters. Chapter 2 explains scientific factors of main animal diseases. Chapter 3 checks domestic and foreign regulations on animal products safety. Chapter 4 analyzes consumers' psychological aspects on animal products' safety. Chapter 5 analyzes informational characteristics related to animal products safety matters. Chapter 6 reviews previous studies on socio-economic influence of animal diseases. Finally, chapter 7 suggests several policies to restore consumer confidence and secure safety and to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of animal product safety management system.
The concept of hazard factors related to animal products are often limited to factors affected humans. In this concept, not all animal diseases are hazard factors. However, consumers sometimes feel uneasy about an animal disease whether it is harmful to humans or not. Therefore, animal diseases about which consumer feel harmful to humans should be categorized as hazard factors. Establishing Quick and clear safety management system and building consumer trust are foundation for firm safety management of these hazard factors. The quality level of korean management system for animal products has grown nearly at the quality levels of advanced countries'. However, the system needs to improve its scientific and consistent system. Also, effective risk communication and international effort level should be accompanied.
The consumer psychology analysis shows that consumers are uneasy about main animal diseases. However, consumers are not uneasy about them all the time. The factors affected to consumers' feeling on animal diseases are consumers' knowledge on hazard factors, media, information sources, government action, consumers' appraisal on animal products relevant bodies, and possibilities of control. Information is also an important factor in forming awareness on hazard factors. Mass media and internet have a major role of awareness formation. Recently, the role of internet in delivering information and communicating has grown. Consumer survey results show that consumers give high mark for mass media in terms of credibility, correctiveness, usefulness, and objectivity. Consumers give high mark for internet in terms of usefulness and easiness. Also, consumers put their trust in consumer organization among major information sources including government.
Animal products hazard factors have various socio-economic and psychological effects. Previous researches show that FMD and AI have an important effects on agricultural economics. The economic effects of BSE are mainly concentrated on consumption. Previous researches on salmonellosis focused on the cost by human infection. It is needed to consolidate animal products safety management and risk communication to minimize ripple effects caused by animal diseases. To improve the current safety management system, first, the laws, regulations, and systems related to food safety should be modified. Especially, the role of "Framework Act on Food Safety" should be strengthen and risk assessment and risk management systems should be modified. Also, Government capability for risk communication should be strengthen. Second, international harmonization on food safety and consumer oriented policies should be introduced. To ensure more effective risk communication for animal products, first, an information provision standard should be established. The information provision standard should reflect consumers' psychology. Government should provide consistent information which does not irritate consumers. Also, two-sided information and specific guideline should be provided. Furthermore, hazard factors-related information should be exchanged constantly between consumers and government. Second, communication measures and strategies should be selected by characteristics and cases of risk. Animal products related risk communication should make good use of hazard factors-related experts in private sectors. Monitoring usual opinions on the internet and dominating internet issues, boosting two-sided communication, and communicating with major media are also considered.
Researchers: Hwang Yun-Jae and Woo Byung-Joon
Research period: 2010. 6. - 2010. 12.
E-mail address: yjhwang@krei.re.kr
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