Beef & Country of Origin Effect

The country of origin effect refers to consumers' bias against imports due to ethnocentrism ("tendency of giving the superior value to things from one's own group and rejecting those of the outgroups") or patriotism tendency. The bias, however, can also be reversed and refer to a favourable image improving the evaluation and increasing the acceptance of foreign imports. Country of origin image, i.e., consumers' perception about a country's people, development standards and the general quality of products can enhance preferences for imports.
The country of origin label is a very particular label that implies more than just the information where the product comes from. It can also provide information on food safety as regulations differ from country to country (British consumers, for instance, prefer beef not treated with hormones and may be reluctant to buy beef from countries where cattle is given growth hormones). For ethnocentric, patriotic consumers with national pride, the label symbolises "the appropriateness, indeed morality, of purchasing foreign-made products". The country of origin label has a strong effect on highly patriotic consumers which is also the reason why the label is sometimes discussed as a "barrier to trade" (Meas, 2014).



According to various studies, consumers prefer domestic beef across EU member states and are willing to pay higher prices. The UK is one of the largest beef importing countries in the EU and British consumers show a clear preference for domestic versus imported beef - in general. In particular, stronger preference against imports is found among consumers with patriotic sentiment toward their home country. And, the better the country of origin image, the more likely consumers are to choose imported beef (Meas, 2014).



- Meas, T. (2014). The effects of country of origin image and patriotism on consumer preference for domestic versus imported beef. Kentucky: Thesis
- photographs (Glyndebourne, 1967 and A Day at Richmond Park, 1967) by Tony Ray-Jones (1941-1972) via and via

"For me there is something very special and rather humorous about the English way of life and I wish to record it from my particular point of view before it becomes more Americanised". Tony Ray-Jones