Informational Shocks and Street-Food Safety: A Field Study in Urban India

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Daniele, Gianmarco; Mookerjee, Sulagna; Tommasi, Denni
• 署名单位: Bocconi University; State University of New York (SUNY) System; Binghamton University, SUNY; Monash University
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00913
• 发表日期: 2021-07
• 页码: 563-579
• 关键词: foodborne disease; choice experiments; hygiene practices; KNOWLEDGE; handlers; vendors; attitudes; HEALTH; fertility; consumers

摘要

We investigate whether improvements in street-food safety can be achieved by providing information to vendors in the form of a training. Among randomly assigned vendors in Kolkata, India, we find large improvements in knowledge and awareness but little change in observed behavior. We provide two main explanations for these findings. First, information acquisition by itself does not make it significantly easier for vendors to provide customers with safer food options. Second, although consumers have a positive willingness to pay for perceived hygiene, they struggle to distinguish between safe and contaminated food. We recommend policies targeting supply-side constraints and consumers' awareness.