Awareness and Attitudes of Tennessee Consumers Towards Agricultural Biotechnology: Survey Results

Abstract

The progress made in the field of biotechnology, also known as Genetic Engineering, over the years has made way for many new outcomes in different fields. However the immense potential of 2biotechnology has not convinced ordinary people to buy into Genetically Modified (GM) foods. A telephone survey conducted by a marketing firm, Advanced Strategic Research (ASR), was contracted to gather data from consumers in selected urban locations in Tennessee. The objective of this paper was to assess awareness and attitudes of Tennesseans towards agricultural biotechnology. The results showed that there is need for disseminating research based information to stakeholders as majority of those surveyed are not aware about agricultural biotechnology and do not have a favorable attitude towards it. Cooperative Extension programs in concert with others have major role to play in the education and information dissemination efforts.