New Study Investigates Impact of Marketing Expectations on Golden Rice Purchase Intentions in Bangladesh and the Philippines

A research team from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and partners looked into how marketing expectations influence consumers' purchase intentions of Golden Rice in Bangladesh and the Philippines. If commercialized, the findings of the study will contribute to the successful launch of Golden Rice in both countries.

Golden Rice, also known as Malusog (Healthy) Rice, is a genetically modified (GM) rice developed to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children and pregnant women in developing countries. Bangladesh and the Philippines are two of the highly relevant target countries of Golden Rice. As such, the researchers investigated the marketing expectations and purchase intentions of 391 respondents from Bangladesh and 354 in the Philippines toward Golden Rice.

The four marketing mix elements, namely price, product, place, and promotion, have a significant influence on consumers' purchase intention in Bangladesh. In contrast, only product and promotion expectations were found to be significant in the Philippines. Although consumers in both countries have high expectations of the performance of Golden Rice, the study found that these expectations do not influence purchase intentions in these countries.

The study also revealed that price expectations do not significantly influence expected satisfaction, performance, or purchase intention in the Philippines, but have a slightly negative impact on purchase intention in Bangladesh. The research team suggests developing effective marketing and educational campaigns to enhance understanding and acceptance of Golden Rice and reduce perceived risks.

For more information, read the study from GM Crops & Food.