Consumer responses to food produced near the Fukushima nuclear plant

This study examines consumer survey data on seven agricultural products (rice, apples, cucumbers, beef, pork, eggs, and shiitake mushrooms) from regions near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNP) to determine which factors and attributes affect consumers’ purchasing behavior, as measured using the contingent valuation method. We found that consumers who prioritize food safety believe that the risk of radiation contamination became high after the Fukushima nuclear incident. These consumers, who live at a distance from the FDNP and have children under the age of 15, require a higher discount rate to accept agricultural products from regions near the power plant. Conversely, our study indicated that consumers who trust the current safety standards for radioactive material concentrations in food are knowledgeable about radiation and radioactive materials, have high environmental consciousness, and are older that are more likely to purchase products from regions near the plant. © 2016, Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies and Springer Japan.