Should Use Of Genetically Modified Organisms Be Labeled?

Should Use Of Genetically Modified Organisms Be Labeled?

Julie A. CaswellUniversity of Massachusetts – Amherst Consumers are increasingly considering information on how foods are produced in making their buying decisions leading producers, processors, and retailers to do the same. Federal and state governments, as well as international standards organizations, face…

Public Acceptance of Agricultural Biotechnology: Editor’s Introduction

Public Acceptance of Agricultural Biotechnology: Editor’s Introduction

Nicholas KalaitzandonakesAssociate Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Missouri and theEditor of AgBioForum. Welcome to AgBioForum, the online magazine that brings you timely information, expert opinion and research on the social and economic aspects of agricultural biotechnology. Our first issue is devoted…

Trends In Consumer Attitudes About Agricultural Biotechnology

Trends In Consumer Attitudes About Agricultural Biotechnology

Thomas J. HobanNorth Carolina State University-Raleigh The benefits of agricultural biotechnology have been promised for almost two decades. That promise is becoming reality. A growing number of American farmers are raising crops developed through biotechnology that are protected from insects and require…

Agricultural Biotechnology: Why Do Europeans Have Difficulty Accepting It?

Agricultural Biotechnology: Why Do Europeans Have Difficulty Accepting It?

B. ZechendorfDirectorate-General Science, Research & Development European Commission Agricultural experts expect “massive changes in agribusiness” when biotechnological methods and products finally penetrate the market place, as Professor Burke reminded us recently in London (Consumer acceptance, 1998). He also mentioned concern about the…

The Emotional Response To Risks: Inevitable But Not Unmanageable

The Emotional Response To Risks: Inevitable But Not Unmanageable

Henry I. MillerStanford University People are afraid of technology, no question about it. Some apprehension about new gadgets or products is just fear of the unknown that can easily be overcome with a little experience. But the “emotional dimension” of concerns about…

Fearing Fear: Communication About Agricultural Biotechnology

Fearing Fear: Communication About Agricultural Biotechnology

Caron ChessRutgers University This article, based on a presentation at the National Agricultural Council’s meeting (Chess, 1995), nudges the agbiotech field to look at its communication practices by examining (1) the assumption that education will increase acceptance of genetically engineered food, and…