Study Identifies Key Drivers of NGT Adoption Among Farmers in Slovakia

A study of 202 Slovak farms examined farmers' willingness to produce crops developed using New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). The researchers from Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, and Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic, emphasize that understanding these preferences is important as the European Union considers the future regulation and adoption of NGT crops.

The survey found limited awareness of NGTs among the respondents, with 37% of farmers saying they had never heard of the technology. When presented with different wheat varieties, farmers preferred higher-yielding and stress-tolerant crops but were generally less likely to choose varieties labelled as developed using NGTs. On average, they would require a price premium of about 32% to produce NGT wheat instead of a conventional variety.

The authors found that yield, selling price, and stress tolerance strongly influence farmers' choices. They recommend tailored communication that clearly distinguishes NGTs from conventional GMOs and explains their potential benefits for sustainability and climate resilience. They said that engaging farmers, consumers, educators, and civil society could help build informed acceptance as NGT crops become more widely available.

For more information, read the study from the International Food and Agribusiness Management Review.