Acceptance of GM Food: an Experiment in Six Countries

A team of scientists from the University of Otago, New Zealand, carried out a series of experiments designed to determine how consumers in six countries (New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, France, Germany and the UK) might react toward GM food products that offer clearly stated consumer benefits if introduced into their markets.

The experiment consisted of real roadside fruit stalls based on a choice modeling experimental design. Conventional fruit labeled as “organic”, “spray-free genetically modified”, or “conventional”, were sold at varying price levels. The results obtained from the price scenario considered most likely, where organic produce is sold at a premium while the spray free-GM option is cheaper due to reduced production costs, revealed that a significant percentage of consumers in European countries appear willing to choose GM food provided there is a price advantage coupled with a consumer benefit.

 The full article can be accessed at http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v25/n5/index.html#opcom