\u201cIn general, people are willing to pay more to avoid GM or nanotech in foods, and people were more averse to GM tech than to nanotech,\u201d says Dr. Jennifer Kuzma, senior author of a paper on the research and co-director of the Genetic Engineering in Society Center at NC State. \u201cHowever, it\u2019s not really that simple. There were some qualifiers, indicating that many people would be willing to buy GM or nanotech in foods if there were health or safety benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,117 U.S. consumers. Participants were asked to answer an array of questions that explored their willingness to purchase foods that contained GM tech and foods that contained nanotech. The questions also explored the price of the various foods and whether participants would buy foods that contained nanotech or GM tech if the foods had enhanced nutrition, improved taste, improved food safety, or if the production of the food had environmental benefits.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that survey participants could be broken into four groups.<\/p>\n
Eighteen percent of participants belonged to a group labeled the \u201cnew technology rejecters,\u201d which would not buy GM or nanotech foods under any circumstances. Nineteen percent of participants belonged to a group labeled the \u201ctechnology averse,\u201d which would buy GM or nanotech foods only if those products conveyed food safety benefits. Twenty-three percent of participants were \u201cprice oriented,\u201d basing their shopping decisions primarily on the cost of the food \u2013 regardless of the presence of GM or nanotech. And 40 percent of participants were \u201cbenefit oriented,\u201d meaning they would buy GM or nanotech foods if the foods had enhanced nutrition or food safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tells us that GM or nanotech food products have greater potential to be viable in the marketplace if companies focus on developing products that have safety and nutrition benefits \u2013 because a majority of consumers would be willing to buy those products,\u201d Kuzma says.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a policy standpoint, it also argues that GM and nanotech foods should be labeled, so that the technology rejecters can avoid them,\u201d Kuzma adds.<\/p>\n