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Atimango AO, Wesana J, Kalule SW, Verbeke W, De Steur H. Genome editing in food and agriculture: from regulations to consumer perspectives. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103127. [PMID: 38564970 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Genome editing (GE) has emerged as a technology that could revolutionize food and agricultural production. While its advent has evoked enthusiasm for a more sustainable food system, there exists heterogeneity in regulations and public opinions regarding the technology. This review discusses evidence on the implications of government regulations on GE, and perceptions of genome-edited (GEd) food and related regulations. The review highlights consumers' positive attitude and preference for GEd foods when compared with genetically modified foods, despite the limited awareness and knowledge of GE technology. While policy changes might trigger debates, providing tailored benefits, information to consumers could further improve their attitude toward GE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice O Atimango
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Rural Development and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Gulu University, P.O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Joshua Wesana
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University, Kasindikwa Village, Lake Saaka, Fort-Portal, Uganda
| | - Stephen W Kalule
- Department of Rural Development and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Gulu University, P.O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Wim Verbeke
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans De Steur
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Yamaguchi T, Ezaki K, Ito K. Exploring the landscape of public attitudes towards gene-edited foods in Japan. BREEDING SCIENCE 2024; 74:11-21. [PMID: 39246435 PMCID: PMC11375427 DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.23047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
The success or failure of food technologies in society depends to a large extent on the public interest, concerns, images, and expectations surrounding them. This paper delves into the landscape of public attitudes towards gene-edited foods in Japan, exploring the reasons behind the acceptance or rejection of these products. A literature review and preliminary findings from a survey conducted in Japan in 2022, aim to identify key issues crucial for evaluating societal acceptance of gene-edited foods. The study showed that the public view gene-edited foods as somewhat unnatural, but upon closer examination, significant variation in attitudes was observed among respondents. Some respondents expressed a favorable perception towards gene-edited foods, particularly those that benefit consumers, while others expressed concerns about its perceived artificiality. Moreover, a significant number of respondents displayed indifference or lack of clear perspective regarding gene-edited foods. These findings reflect the complex relationship between public attitudes, naturalness, and social acceptance of gene-edited foods. Furthermore, the study indicates the importance of paying close attention to those who refrain from expressing their viewpoints in the survey. This nuanced landscape warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomiko Yamaguchi
- College of Liberal Arts, International Christian University, 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8585, Japan
| | - Kazune Ezaki
- Department of Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, 3-34-1 Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan
| | - Kyoko Ito
- Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto Tachibana University, 34 Yamada-cho, Oyake, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8175, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Liu J, Wang S, Wang Z, Chen S. Research on online public opinion dissemination and emergency countermeasures of food safety in universities-take the rat head and duck neck incident in China as an example. Front Public Health 2024; 11:1346577. [PMID: 38361575 PMCID: PMC10867957 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1346577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, food safety accidents have occurred frequently in colleges and universities, and students are prone to emotional resonance with food safety. It triggered heated discussions among the whole society and gradually formed a unique online public opinion on food safety in universities. After food safety incidents broke out in universities, some universities deliberately avoided responsibility or made mistakes in handling the incidents, which will create greater risks of online public opinion. Therefore, this paper takes the "Rat Head and Duck Neck" incident at Jiangxi Institute of Technology in China as an example. The purpose is to study the dissemination of public opinion on food safety online in universities and propose emergency countermeasures. Above all, the food safety online public opinion is divided into five stages: incubation period, burst period, spreading period, recurring period and dissipation period. Then, methods such as text mining and cluster analysis were used to deeply analyze the influencing factors at each stage of the development of food safety online public opinion. And analyze the role of different subjects in the development of public opinion based on the perspective of stakeholders. Finally, this paper provides corresponding countermeasures for different stages of online public opinion on food safety in universities, which provides suggestions and references for university governance. This study found that: (1) The resonance effect of online public opinion media on food safety in universities is significant. (2) Public opinion on food safety in universities is repetitive. (3) Improper response to food safety incidents in universities can easily trigger negative secondary public opinion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsi Liu
- School of Politics and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Local Government Public Service Innovation Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Su Wang
- School of Politics and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Local Government Public Service Innovation Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- College of Public Administration, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shixiang Chen
- School of Politics and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Local Government Public Service Innovation Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Taguchi C, Shibata N, Soga K, Yoshiba S, Narushima J, Sugino M, Kondo K. Providing appropriate information to consumers boosts the acceptability of genome-edited foods in Japan. GM CROPS & FOOD 2023; 14:1-14. [PMID: 37523332 PMCID: PMC10392745 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2023.2239539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The Japanese Health Ministry recently granted permission for the market distribution of genome-edited (GE) foods, yet there remains a lack of full understanding among consumers regarding this technology. In this study, we conducted a survey to assess the acceptability of GE foods among Japanese consumers and examined the impact of providing information about GE foods on their acceptability. We conducted a web-based survey among 3,408 consumers aged 20-69 years, focusing on three aspects: (1) the commercial availability of GE foods, (2) the consumption of GE foods by others, and (3) your own consumption of GE foods. The survey findings revealed that participants were most accepting of the consumption of GE foods by others, followed by their acceptance of GE foods being commercially available. Notably, participants' acceptance of GE foods increased in all three aspects after they viewed an informative video. The video had a particularly strong impact on participants who fully or partially understood its content, compared to those who did not. Furthermore, regression analyses showed that participants' understanding of two key areas, namely "Why are GE foods important" and "What procedures are in place to ensure the safety of GE foods," played a crucial role in increasing acceptability. Overall, these results indicate that providing information about GE foods to Japanese consumers can effectively enhance their acceptance of such foods. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the benefits and safety measures associated with GE foods in influencing consumer attitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chie Taguchi
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Norihito Shibata
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keisuke Soga
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoko Yoshiba
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Jumpei Narushima
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miyu Sugino
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazunari Kondo
- Biochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
- Food Safety and Management, Showa Women's University, Tokyo, Japan
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Strobbe S, Wesana J, Van Der Straeten D, De Steur H. Public acceptance and stakeholder views of gene edited foods: a global overview. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:736-740. [PMID: 36658005 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The increasing popularity of gene editing in plants has prompted research on stakeholder views. Gene edited foods are often more accepted than genetically modified foods, though differences occur within target groups, regions, and products. Nevertheless, marketing challenges related to a lack of familiarity with the technology, labeling, and risk perception remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Strobbe
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joshua Wesana
- Ghent University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium; Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, UK; Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University, Kasindikwa Village, Lake Saaka, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Dominique Van Der Straeten
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans De Steur
- Ghent University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium.
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Spök A, Sprink T, Allan AC, Yamaguchi T, Dayé C. Towards social acceptability of genome-edited plants in industrialised countries? Emerging evidence from Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:899331. [PMID: 36120531 PMCID: PMC9473316 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.899331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The agricultural biotechnology world has been divided into two blocks; countries adopting GM crops for commercial cultivation (adopters) and others without any or without relevant cultivation of such crops (non-adopters). Meanwhile, an increasing number of adopter countries have exempted certain genome-edited (GE) crops from legal GMO pre-market approval and labelling requirements. Among them are major exporters of agricultural commodities such as United States, Canada, and Australia. Due to the relaxed legislation more GE plants are expected to enter the market soon. Many countries in the non-adopter group, however, depend on import of large volumes of agricultural commodities from adopter countries. Unlike first generation GM, certain GE crops cannot be identified as unambiguously originating from genome editing using available techniques. Consequently, pressure is mounting on non-adopter jurisdictions to reconsider their policies and legislations. Against this backdrop, the paper explores recent developments relevant for social acceptability in selected non-adopters, Japan, New Zealand, the EU, Norway, and Switzerland in contrast to United States, Canada, and Australia. While Japan is already opening-up and Norway and Switzerland are discussing revisions of their policies, the EU and New Zealand are struggling with challenges resulting from high court decisions. In an attempt to take a closer look into the inner dynamics of these developments, the concept of social acceptability proposed by Wüstenhagen et al. (Energy Policy, 2007, 35(5), 2683-2691) is employed. This aids the understanding of developments in the jurisdictions considered and identifies specific or cross-cutting challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Spök
- Science, Technology and Society Unit, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Thorben Sprink
- Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology, Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Center for Cultivated Plants, Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Andrew C. Allan
- New Cultivar Innovation, Plant & Food Research, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tomiko Yamaguchi
- College of Liberal Arts, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christian Dayé
- Science, Technology and Society Unit, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
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Consumer Valuation of and Attitudes towards Novel Foods Produced with New Plant Engineering Techniques: A Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132011348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We follow the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews to review the emerging international body of empirical evidence on consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for novel foods produced with New Plant Engineering Techniques (NPETs). NPETs include genome/gene editing, cisgenesis, intragenesis, and RNA interference. These novel foods are often beneficial for the environment and human health and more sustainable under increasingly prevalent climate extremes. These techniques can also improve animal welfare and disease resistance when applied to animals. Despite these abilities of NPETs, evidence suggests that many, but not all, consumers discount these novel foods relative to conventional ones. Our review sorts out findings to identify conditioning factors that can increase the acceptance of and WTP for these novel foods in a significant segment of consumers. International patterns of acceptance are identified. We also analyze how information and knowledge interact with consumer acceptance of these novel foods and technologies. Heterogeneity of consumers—across cultures and borders and in attitudes towards science and innovation—emerges as a key determinant of acceptance and WTP. Acceptance and WTP tend to increase when socially beneficial attributes—as opposed to producer-oriented cost-saving attributes—are generated by NPETs. NPET-improved foods are systematically less discounted than transgenic foods. Most of the valuation estimates are based on hypothetical experiments and surveys and await validation through revealed preferences in actual purchases in food retailing environments.
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