Genetically Modified (GM) Food
IGD consumer research shows that genetic modification (GM) is currently making little difference to the majority of consumers’ shopping habits, as demonstrated in the chart below.
- The majority of consumers (47%) do not look at the ingredients when buying food to avoid GM ingredients. A further 27% prefer not to buy food with GM ingredients, but rarely look at the label to make sure this is the case.
- Only 13% of consumers actively look at the label for information on GM ingredients. They expected to see this as a written description, in the same way as allergy information is given.
- 13% were happy if the food they buy to include GM ingredients
Attitudes to GM food
GM Food Attitudes. Source: IGD Consumer Research, 2003
Most consumers felt they did not know enough about the advantages and disadvantages of GM production and eating GM food to decide whether or not to support it. This lack of knowledge contributes to the low level of motivation to either accept or avoid GM food.
Reasons to support GM production
The benefits of GM production and/or eating GM food needed to be clear and important to the individual:
- 13% would support GM production if the end foods were more nutritious
- 12% would support GM production to ease food shortages in developing countries
- 10% would be encouraged to support GM production if there were added health benefits to the food, such as in existing ‘functional foods’ that help lower cholesterol.
Few would support GM production if the benefits were only perceived to be applicable to the producer, e.g. disease resistant crops. Consumers see this as leading to lower production costs but do not think these savings will be on to passed to the consumer.
Reasons not to support GM production
People feel they do not have enough credible information about GM to currently make a decision whether or not to support it. Without this information consumers opt for a precautionary approach. The findings from IGD research show the impact this lack of information has on consumers’ attitudes:
- 24% would not support GM production because they do not know the long-term benefits for their health.
- 14% would not support GM because they knew too little to make a decision either way.
- 10% felt that there was too much conflicting information that made it difficult for them to make a decision.
- 10% though GM was unnatural, and so would not support it.
