Review of Agricultural Economics—Volume 26, Number 2—Pages 186–208 Public Attitudes toward Agrobiotechnology: The Mediating Role of Risk Perceptions on the Impact of Trust, Awareness, and Outrage

Using Fishbein’s multiattribute and mediation models as conceptual frameworks, we pro-pose that the impact of trust, awareness, sense of outrage, and socio-demographic variables on attitudes toward agrobiotechnology are mediated by risk perceptions. The proposition was validated using large survey data collected in the United States and United Kingdom. Results show that trust, sense of outrage, and socio-demographic factors play an impor-tant role in shaping public attitudes about agrobitoechnology, largely via their links to risk perceptions. Moreover, risk perceptions exert a greater effect on public attitudes toward agrobiotechnology than benefit perceptions. Finally, the attitudes of U.K. consumers were more susceptible to negative attributes when compared with U.S. consumers. When biotechnology versions of major food crops were introduced in theearly 1990s, this technology promised dramatic benefits to both farmers and consumers. The subsequent rapid adoption of Roundup-Ready soybeans or Bt corn in both North and South America suggests that farmers may have realized their promised benefits (Bullock and Nitsi). However, considerable uncertainty surrounds the benefits promised to consumers. This is reflected in public con-cern around the globe about potential health and environmental risks associated with genetically modified (GM) crops. Although consumer sentiments about GM foods differ widely across nations, consumer advocates continue to focus atten-tion on such foods, and openly oppose the application of biotechnology to crop production. Food safety does not appear to have been compromised as a result o