Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Foods

In recent years, there have been increasing concerns about the potential health risks of genetically modified foods. Consumer perceptions vary between countries, but are probably most pronounced in Europe and least in North America. These have had a profound and controversial effect on the development of markets for GM products. This book presents a compilation of studies of consumer acceptance of GM foods. These studies utilized different methods and evidence including: price and expenditure data, experimental methods, "willingness to pay", consumer attitudes and economic consequences.

Eighteen contributions from researchers discuss consumers' acceptance of genetically modified foods. A sampling of topics includes the predicted effects of both mandatory and voluntary labeling of GM foods in the US; a comparative analysis of consumer acceptance of GM foods in Norway and the US; and the roots of opposition to GMOs in France. Earlier versions of the papers were presented at the 2002 International Conference of the International Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology Research. Distributed in the US by Oxford U. Press. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR