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Lookup NU author(s): Khalid Medani, Alexandra NeillORCiD, Professor Guy Garrod, Dr Mercy Ojo, Dr Carmen Hubbard
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Modern biotechnology and associated genetic modification techniques can help tackle several global challenges including, inter alia, climate change and food security. However, there is a great deal of global controversy regarding the prudence of their application in food production. Hence, societal acceptance of GM crops and foods is crucial for their proliferation and commercialisation to be successful. In response to an evidenced lack of research on attitudes towards GM foods in emerging economies and developing countries, and following a systematic approach with a thematic analysis tool, this review compiled current knowledge and available evidence on perceptions and attitudes towards GM crops and foods in the MENAT region to support existing and future research and identify existent knowledge gaps. The findings revealed that people in the MENAT region hold a mixture of positive and negative attitudes towards GM foods and crops, with negative attitudes predominating, and also exhibited poor levels of knowledge about GM foods and their local existence. Overall, plant-based GM products were, notably, more acceptable than the application of genetic modification on animals for food production. The results also demonstrated the importance of risk and benefit perception, GM knowledge and educational background, and cultural and moral beliefs in the formation of attitudes towards GM foods and crops. In conclusion, social research of GM application in food and agriculture sectors in the MENAT region is still in its early stages and future and more targeted research in this area is highly encouraged.
Author(s): Medani KR, Neill A, Garrod G, Ojo M, Hubbard MC
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Food Quality and Preference
Year: 2024
Volume: 117
Print publication date: 01/08/2024
Online publication date: 29/02/2024
Acceptance date: 26/02/2024
Date deposited: 15/01/2025
ISSN (print): 0950-3293
ISSN (electronic): 1873-6343
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105148
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105148
Data Access Statement: No data was used for the research described in the article.
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