China Agricultural Economic Review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the food traceability system in China, examine factors that affect consumers' perception of a food traceability system, and determine their willingness to pay for having the system.

Design/methodology/approach – Beijing, one of the largest pork markets in urban China, was chosen and 400 consumers were randomly interviewed using questionnaires and finally a logistic model was employed to analyze consumers' willingness to pay for traceable pork.

Findings – The authors found that consumers' perception of pork traceability system is subject to a comparatively low level. Purchasing of traceable pork is affected by gender, self-evaluation of health, awareness of the traceability system, concern about food safety, and the stochastic price willing to pay.

Originality/value – The paper is the first to quantify Chinese consumers' valuation for traceable pork and it helps pork producers and marketers understand consumers' willingness to pay a small premium of 4.5?RMB/kg (0.7?USD) for traceable pork. This finding has imperative policy implications that could help the government deal with the high cost associated with the use of a pork traceability system.