Michael Burton
School of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Western Australia
Dale Pearse
School of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Western Australia

A choice modeling approach was used to identify consumer preferences for various hypothetical forms of genetic modifica- tion in beer, using a sample from Western Australia. It was found that respondents were equally averse to first-generation modification in either plants or microorganisms but were willing to pay a premium for a product with positive health benefits.

Key words: Genetic modification, food, health benefits, microorganisms.