Biotech Updates

Consumers' Evaluation of Biotechnology in Food Products

June 26, 2013

Researchers from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences conducted a meta-survey of several scientific studies relating to consumers' attitude towards GM food products. They combined information from 1,673 survey questions from 214 different studies conducted worldwide with a total of ~200,000 respondents.

Results of their study showed that survey questions with positive connotations about biotechnology tend to be associated with positive measures of evaluation, and similarly, negative questions were found linked with negative measures of evaluation. Enumerated benefits of biotech in food did not lead to significant positive reaction. Price discounts, increased production, and perceived risks generated negative coefficients. Studies conducted in the EU were more inclined towards finding out the risk and ethical concerns compared to studies conducted in non-EU countries.

Read the research paper at http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/151148/2/Consumers%20Evaluation%20of%20Biotechnology%20in%20Food%20Products%202013%20final.pdf.