Consumer acceptance

The development of genetically modified (GM) food has been a matter of considerable interest and worldwide public controversy. As a result ‘uncertainties’, ‘risks’ and ‘benefits’ that such new technologies portray to the food industry and consumers have been widely disseminated. However, there is limited understanding of what lies behind “demand side effects” to the introduction of these ‘potential food industry innovations’. Among demand influences, preference, valuation along with underpinning attitudes leading toward potential (un)acceptance have received attention in the literature. However, the fact that GM food is typically a potential daily consumption product (e.g., GM milk, tomato etc) makes it somehow complex. Firstly, the valuation of a new good implies the provision of information from several sources public and private, formal and informal etc – and conditioned on that, the credibility and trustworthiness of each relevant information source. Given the information available, a further issue is that of attitude expression and formation, which ultimately leads to the final question regarding product valuation and consumer preference.