AgBioForum, vol. 06, no. 4 (2003)
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Item Attitudes about Genetically Modified Foods among Korean and American College Students(AgBioForum, 2003) Finke, Michael S.; Kim, HeaseonA recent survey of American and Korean undergraduate students yielded some notable differences in attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) foods. Although the majority of both groups were concerned about health risks from GM foods, the proportion of Korean students (87%) was much higher than American students (58%). Women and students who were more likely to invest in health through nutrition and exercise were also more likely to be concerned about GM foods. The differences in attitudes may be partially attributable to recent negative media exposure in Korea toward GMOs.Item Expertise, Trust, and Communication about Food Biotechnology(AgBioForum, 2003) Lang, John T.; O'Neill, Karen M., 1959-; Hallman, William K.Experts typically presume to speak with authority about complex concerns, such as agricultural biotechnology. Research indicates, however, that the effectiveness of risk communication depends on perceptions about the trustworthiness of the institutions and experts providing information. This exploratory study investigates how experts from a range of food-associated professions and institutions perceive their own roles in communicating about biotechnology. Most of the respondents rated scientists and other experts as most likely to tell the truth about biotechnology, but many felt that members of the public were most influenced by the mass media and by critics of biotechnology.Item Awareness and Acceptance of Biotechnology Issues among Youth, Undergraduates, and Adults(AgBioForum, 2003) Fritz, Susan; Husmann, Dann; Wingenbach, Gary J.; Rutherford, Tracy A.; Egger, Valerie; Wadhwa, PreetiTo be successful both domestically and internationally, biotechnology must establish an acceptable position in the sociopolitical framework. This United States (US) study assessed levels of awareness and acceptance of biotechnology issues among youth (n = 283), undergraduate students (n = 330), and adults (n= 166). The percentage of adults who were aware of how biotechnology would affect food, health, and the environment was almost three times that of youth respondents. It was concluded that consumer groups would most likely be impacted by accurate, unbiased agricultural biotechnology information delivered through the Internet and newspapers that originates from reliable, accessible, and science-based sources.Item Cost Implications of Alternative GM Tolerance Levels : Non-Genetically Modified Wheat in Western Canada(AgBioForum, 2003) Huygen, Israel; Veeman, Michele M.; Lerohl, MelModern agricultural biotechnology is leading to the creation of supply chains involving identity preservation of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops. Cost differences are estimated for three selected supply chain systems for Canadian non-GM wheat at different levels of tolerance for GM material. The selected systems extend from the farm to export port and include use of both mixed and dedicated country and export elevators as well as farm-level containerization of wheat. There is an appreciable increase in the costs of identity preserved marketing of non-GM wheat within each system as threshold levels tighten from 5% to 0.1%.Item Genetically Modified Sugarcane : A Case for Alternate Products(AgBioForum, 2003) Grice, Janet; Wegener, M. K.; Romanach, L. M.; Paton, S.; Bonaventura, P.; Garrad, S.Current community attitudes towards genetically modified (GM)plants are quite negative, with the sugar industry having apparently accepted the view that sugar from genetically modified cane is regarded so badly by consumers at the present time that it could not be marketed successfully. In other industries, genetically modified cultivars that are environmentally friendly and not designed for human consumption (e.g., Bt cotton) have been accepted reasonably well. One of the main causes of public concern about genetic engineering has been the lack of information about the process and the types of products, particularly nonfood products, that can be developed. This paper describes exploratory research in the sugar industry in Queensland that attempted to determine the effect of providing information on gene technology on the attitudes of cane growers, their partners, and community members and the types of genetic modification that was most acceptable to them. Attitudes to genetic engineering of sugarcane, in general, were judged to become more positive, and the real concerns over introduction of the technology were revealed. Those applications that were most acceptable were also identified.