NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS AND CONSUMER WILLINGNESS TO BUY GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

This study analyzes U.S. consumers' acceptance of genetically modified foods within the ordered-probit-model framework. The willingness to consumer three difference GM foods is modeled in terms of consumers' economic, demographic, and value attributes. Empirical results indicate that respondents' attitudes and perceptions of biotechnology and their views about various private and public institutions associated with this technology are important determinants of their acceptance of food biotechnology. We find that attitudinal variables have greater influence on the acceptance of food biotechnology than do consumers' economic and demographic attributes. We find significant difference in consumer attitudes between plant- and animal-based bioengineered food products. Compared to plant-based products, there is far less consensus on the acceptance of genetic modification in animals