ABSTRACT China is one of the world's major grain importers. Currently, the country is actively promoting the adoption of certified seeds to improve agricultural productivity and bolster food security, especially grain security. However, a relatively low willingness to adopt certified seeds remains a significant barrier for certified seed promotion in many countries, including China. This study estimates farmers' willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for certified maize seeds using the double‐bounded contingent valuation method (CVM) and survey data from 834 maize farmers in China. The results indicate that, on average, Chinese farmers are willing to pay a 31.78% premium for certified maize seeds compared to uncertified seeds. Farmers' WTPP for certified maize seeds varies significantly by level of awareness of certified seeds, farm size, experience with agricultural technology training, and region. Specifically, farmers familiar with certified seeds have a WTPP that is 5.213 percentage points higher than those who are unfamiliar; each additional hectare of farm size raises farmers' WTPP by 2.998 percentage points; and participation in agricultural technology training increases farmers' WTPP by 6.902 percentage points. Therefore, it is important to improve farmers' awareness and WTPP for certified seeds by expanding agricultural technology training, establishing demonstration bases, and enhancing outreach and publicity. These efforts can help promote wider adoption of certified seeds among farmers.

ABSTRACT This study examines whether information about production methods and social norms can increase consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) a price premium for food produced using climate‐friendly farming methods. A randomized survey experiment was conducted with 1568 respondents across Denmark, Lithuania, and Spain, who were assigned to one of four experimental groups: a control group, a group receiving information on food production methods that can reduce climate impact, a group exposed to social norm messaging, and a group receiving combined interventions. Results show that while a substantial share of consumers expressed a positive WTP for climate‐friendly produced carrots and beef, the proportion declined rapidly as the premium increased. Moderate premiums were acceptable to many respondents but only about 10% were willing to pay a premium above 10%. The average WTP for carrots was 5% in the control group and increased by about 16% under the combined information and social norm intervention, indicating that the two strategies together modestly enhance premium acceptance. Very similar patterns were observed for beef. The effects of the treatments differed across demographic groups: respondents aged 41 or below were more responsive to social norms, while respondents above 41 reacted more to production method information. Overall, the findings suggest that leveraging production information with social‐norm message can modestly promote climate‐friendly produced food choices and offer useful guidance for designing tailored communication strategies.

ABSTRACT With the development of new technologies that can change food appearance and taste, food fraud has become an increasingly critical issue in the food market, especially in the online food market worldwide in recent years. This study examines 935 Chinese online beefsteak buyers' preferences for food authenticity test information (meat glue test and DNA test) and explores changes in consumer surplus when such tests are provided. Our findings indicate that Chinese consumers perceive a high risk of food fraud when buying beefsteak online and consistently prefer authenticity test information, such as meat glue tests, DNA tests, and authenticity clues like Halal food verification. We also find that consumers with high consumption levels are more likely to use price as a quality cue to avoid food fraud. Consumers with low consumption levels may receive more consumer surplus from authenticity testing. This study provides important insight for policymakers and food companies when evaluating the benefits of offering food authenticity test information and designing pricing strategies with consumption stratification in the online food market.

ABSTRACT Despite the growing emphasis on the importance of circular economy strategies in increasing a firm's performance, the relationship between Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and circular economy needs to be further justified. This study assessed the effects of government support and circular economy‐oriented collaboration on the implementation of circular economy strategies. In addition, we investigated the effects of circular economy strategies adoption on firms' ESG performance and reputation. This study surveyed 235 Brazilian agri‐food firms. Data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling method. This study found a positive and significant effect of circular economy‐oriented collaboration on circular economy strategies and a positive but lower effect of government support on circular economy strategies. The study's findings also demonstrate that the adoption of circular economy strategies has a profound effect on ESG performance and firm reputation. We also identified a partial mediation of circular economy‐oriented collaboration on the relationship between government support and circular economy. This study's findings contribute to advancing the theoretical discourse on CE and collaborative governance by validating their interconnected roles in enhancing sustainability outcomes. Moreover, our research contributes to the theoretical discourse on CE by showing how internal capabilities and relational assets jointly influence agri‐food firms' sustainability transitions.

ABSTRACT Understanding how households modify their food expenditure decisions during times of crisis is essential because consumer purchasing behavior frequently changes during these times. This study looks at these behavioral shifts during the COVID‐19 pandemic, concentrating on how price sensitivity and response to sales promotions changed over the course of the crisis. The study uses both fixed‐effects and quantile regression models to estimate the effect of prices and promotions on food expenditure using 499,600 observations from 5784 households in the Spanish Kantar Worldpanel Homescan dataset. According to the results, price sensitivity and promotion responsiveness significantly decreased during the initial lockdown and then increased during the new normalcy period. Results further indicate that low‐expenditure households were consistently more responsive to prices and promotions than high‐expenditure households. These insights highlight important implications for retailers, who may adjust communication and pricing strategies, and for policymakers, who should consider targeted interventions to support household food security during future crises.

ABSTRACT In recent years, the decline in rice farmers' profit in China has become an undeniable fact, which has had negative impacts on various levels, including the individual farmer, society, and the nation. Although a few studies investigated the driving force of declining profitability, little is known about the role played by farmland leasing. This paper decomposes the profitability into four components: input price change, output price change, output change, and total factor productivity change, employing a stochastic frontier input distance function model. In addition, a two‐stage least squares model is used to evaluate the impact of farmland leasing on profitability change and its components. The results show that for each additional mu (≈0.067 ha) of leased farmland, the profitability change of rice farmers increases by 0.877 percentage points. This positive effect is stronger among large‐scale farms and after the implementation of the Three Rights Separation reform. Further results show that the positive influence of farmland leasing on profitability change mainly stems from “quantity‐driven” and “price‐driven,” with the latter largely shaped by input prices. Based on the above conclusions, this paper also proposes three policy implications aimed at providing references for farmland system reforms in China and other developing countries.

ABSTRACT This study conducts a sensory analysis and assesses consumer preferences and willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for beef steaks from predominantly Angus cattle relative to Santa Gertrudis (SG)‐influenced cattle. Understanding how consumers perceive beef from SG‐influenced cattle is important because these crossbred animals offer heat tolerance and hardiness traits that could benefit producers facing environmental stressors, yet concerns remain about their potential impact on meat quality. Using sensory analysis sessions conducted in 2023 and 2024, participants assessed beef samples for appearance, aroma, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptance. Additionally, participants indicated their preferred sample and stated a WTP premium for their selection. We found comparatively lower ( p ‐value = 0.009) consumer ratings of appearance and higher ( p ‐value = 0.019) consumer ratings for tenderness of SG‐influenced beef steaks relative to Angus. Ratings for other common sensory attributes, including aroma, flavor, juiciness, and overall acceptance, are similar ( p ‐values > 0.05) between the steaks of the two cattle breeds. Analysis of WTP suggests no difference ( p ‐values > 0.05) across treatments. Tenderness, flavor, and juiciness are identified as the most influential meat attributes affecting preference selection. These findings suggest that incorporating SG genetics into beef production does not negatively impact consumer experience or value. The results can aid stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding crossbred SG genetics and marketing.

ABSTRACT A steady source of income and market access for small farmers is provided by farmer‐producer businesses, which are seen as an economic organization. Over the past 8−10 years, over 4200 producer groups have been established in India to encourage farmers to increase their revenue via communal action. However, due to several obstacles, the majority of these organizations are still in the early stages of their establishment. With an emphasis on horticultural crops, this inquiry uses a bibliometric approach to examine previous studies, contributions, and trends regarding the consequences of farmer‐producer companies (FPCs) on member producers. A thorough review and bibliometric analysis were carried out to quantitatively and methodically identify developments in this field. Forty studies were found and categorized using well‐defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data set was obtained from credible journals such as Emerald, Elsevier, MDPI, Wiley, Springer, and Taylor & Francis, and it included publications from 2017 to 2024. Bibliometric techniques were applied using the VOS viewer software to analyze journal trends and keyword cooccurrence. The findings highlight the critical role of FPCs in enhancing farmers' market access, income stability, and collective bargaining power, particularly in the horticulture sector. The analysis underscores the importance of crop specialization, regional adaptability, and value chain integration in driving FPC success for horticulture crops.

ABSTRACT RNA interference (RNAi) technology offers promising alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides, particularly for fungal resistance. It can be applied in agriculture either through topical delivery, such as spray‐induced gene silencing (SIGS), or via genetic modification, as in host‐induced gene silencing (HIGS). While the European public has shown consistent aversion toward genetically modified (GM) technologies, the level of acceptance for topical RNAi applications remains largely unexplored. This study primarily investigates public acceptance for strawberries produced with Topical RNAi, GM RNAi, or Traditional breeding. A discrete choice experiment was conducted in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain including additional attributes for organic production, local origin, and price. Mixed logit and willingness‐to‐pay estimates were used to analyze preferences and identify socio‐demographic and attitudinal determinants. Results consistently reveal a marked consumer aversion to products developed using RNAi technologies relative to conventional breeding, with particularly strong skepticism in France and Germany. By contrast, organic and local attributes exert strong positive influence, confirming the enduring salience of “natural” and provenance‐related cues. Key factors that could facilitate a shift toward greater acceptance include improving understanding of biotechnology innovations, enhancing consumer confidence in safety assessments, and—most importantly—increasing awareness of the alignment between RNAi technologies and sustainability goals. Acceptance is higher among men, urban residents, and individuals with greater knowledge of biotechnology and trust in regulatory assessments. Conversely, older consumers, women, and those strongly committed to sustainability‐oriented behaviors display lower acceptance, perceiving RNAi as incompatible with their values. The findings underscore that the social readiness of RNAi technologies lags behind their scientific potential. Building consumer trust, improving understanding, and reframing RNAi within broader sustainability goals will be the themes on which to base future policy decisions.