Assessing Producer Stated Preferences for Identity Preservation in the Canadian Grain Handling and Transportation System

"Agricultural biotechnology will create a new set of challenges for the bulk grain handling and transportation system (GHTS) in Canada. The implementation of a credible grain identity preservation system to segregate genetically modified (GM) from non-GM grain remains an important and unresolved issue for the industry. Furthermore, the attitude of producers toward the design of an identity preserved grain supply chain is not well understood. Using a 2003 survey of Saskatchewan grain farmers developed by the authors, we employ conjoint analysis to evaluate producer attitudes and trade-offs among four hypothetical grain handling systems. The results indicate that farmers in the region will require significant economic incentives to adopt on-farm segregation methods when compared to methods that segregate grain at the elevator level." Copyright (c) 2008 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.