Study Shows European Consumers' Attitudes towards Cisgenic Rice

Attitudes of European consumers towards cisgenic rice was investigated by Anne-Cecile Selwaide, graduate student at Ghent University. The data were collected from 3,002 respondents from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2013 through an online survey.

Results showed significant differences across countries in terms of the attitudes towards cisgenic and transgenic rice, willingness to pay (WTP), and demographics affecting WTP. In all five countries, consumers are willing to pay for a higher price to avoid consuming rice labelled as GMO. In all countries except Spain, consumers have significantly different and lower WTP to avoid cisgenic rice compared to rice labelled as GM. Furthermore, consumers in Spain and France are willing to pay a higher price for rice labelled as having environmental benefits compared to conventional rice.

The findings imply that consumers tend to have a more positive attitude towards cisgenic rice than transgenic rice, though both are categorized as genetically modified products.

Read the full paper at http://lib.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/002/166/750/RUG01-002166750_2014_0001_AC.pdf.