Assessing rural consumers’ WTP for orange, biofortified maize in Ghana with experimental auctions and a simulated radio message

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, butthese crops are often bright orange, and African maize consumers prefer white. To estimate theconsumers interest in orange biofortified maize, sensory evaluations were organized in ruralGhana with white, yellow and orange maize. The effect of information on willingness to pay forbiofortification was estimated using a simulated radio message. Results indicate that colorpreferences are highly regional, wide variation exist within regions, and the provision ofinformation is able to change these preferences. The color of biofortified maize should thereforenot be seen as major impediment, but proper information messages should be targeted at the rightchannels such as rural radio.