Risk perceptions, risk-reducing behaviour and willingness to pay: radioactive contamination in food following a nuclear accident

(Austria). All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the present authors alone. 2 Abstract In this paper, we investigate the links between risk attitudes, risk-reducing behaviour and stated preferences for changes in risk. This is done in the context of an empirical study of " countermeasures " against radioactive contamination of land following nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl. Countermeasures can reduce contamination levels in food crops to " safe " levels, but consumers may require large price reductions before they will consume treated products. How large these reductions would have to be for countermeasures to be effective in terms of consumer attitudes was the focus of a contingent valuation study carried out in Scotland and Norway. Data from this survey allows us to examine whether attitudes to risk or past risk-reducing behaviour are more important in predicting willingness to pay to avoid increases in perceived risk. We also report on which sources of information on food safety are most trusted by consumers.