George Gaskell
Professor of Social Psychology and Associate Director BIOS (The Centre for the Study of Bioscience, Biomedicine and Society), London School of Economics
Nick Allum
Lecturer in Quantitative Sociology, University of Surrey
Martin Bauer
Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology, London School of Economics
Jonathan Jackson
Lecturer in Research Methodology, London School of Economics
Susan Howard
Research Student, London School of Economics
Nicola Lindsey
Management Consultant, L.E.K. Consulting
The 19912002 Eurobarometer surveys show a steady decline in optimism about biotechnology in the United Kingdom (UK) through the 1990s. After 1999, there is more optimism and less opposition to agri-food biotechnologies. The paper discusses possible causes of these changes and argues that the UK public is still open to persuasion.
Key words: Biotechnology, Eurobarometer survey, GM foods, GM crops, public opinion, United Kingdom.