Deficiencies of micronutrients such as vitamin A are widespread, expecially in Africa.
Biofortified crops such as maize, bred for high levels of provitamin A might offer a solution, but
these crops are often bright orange, and African maize consumers prefer white. To estimate the
consumers interest in orange biofortified maize, sensory evaluations were organized in rural
Ghana with white, yellow and orange maize. The effect of information on willingness to pay for
biofortification was estimated using a simulated radio message. Results indicate that color
preferences are highly regional, wide variation exist within regions, and the provision of
information is able to change these preferences. The color of biofortified maize should therefore
not be seen as major impediment, but proper information messages should be targeted at the right
channels such as rural radio
