Does internet use improve food safety behavior among rural residents?

The rapid development of the internet has changed people's lives and daily behaviors. This paper assesses the impact of internet use on food safety behavior among rural residents by examining the case of China, which has been experiencing the rapid spread of the internet. Based on data collected from 1080 rural households in three provinces in Central China, an endogenous switching regression model and counterfactual analysis are used to evaluate the impact of internet use on the food safety behavior of rural residents and to explore the possible channels of impact. The results show that internet use can significantly improve the food safety behavior of rural residents in China, and the potential impact channels include the acquisition of food safety information and the level of food safety knowledge. This paper supplements the literature on the impacts of internet use in rural China by providing empirical evidence on the role of internet use in rural residents' food safety behaviors. This study has important implications for those designing policy to improve residents' food safety behaviors in the information age.