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Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions of Agricultural Professionals Toward Genetically Modified (GM) Foods: A Case Study in Southwest Iran

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Abstract

While there has been a number of consumers’ studies looking at factors that influence individuals’ attitudes and behavior toward GM foods, few studies have considered agricultural professionals’ intentions in this regard. This study illuminates agricultural professionals’ insights toward GM foods in Southwest Iran. A random sample of 262 respondents was studied. The results indicated that the majority of the respondents had little knowledge about GM foods. They perceived few benefits or risks of GM foods. Their perceived benefits and trust in individuals and institutions had positive impacts on the behavioral intentions of the agricultural professionals. The results also revealed that the low knowledge level of the respondents had a negative impact on the behavioral intentions toward GM foods. This state of affairs is problematic, either GM foods have serious problems or the knowledge conveyed to the Iranian agricultural experts is inappropriate. We recommend a well defined communication strategy to provide information in such a way that allows individuals to feel adequately informed about GM foods. Furthermore, the development of trust and knowledge regarding GM foods can be greater when risk analysis frameworks are transparent, risk assessment methodologies are objective, all stakeholders are engaged in the risk management process, and risk communication focuses on consumers.

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Notes

  1. In this paper, consumers are excluded from farmers.

  2. Please note that the authors are aware of focusing on the “professionals’ attitudes” (as for this study) rather than consumers’ perceptions toward GM foods when providing the literature review, however, the main reason to discuss consumers’ attitudes is the fact that most of the available published literature on attitude studies toward GM crops has focused on the public and consumers rather than experts’ attitudes. Indeed, it has been one of our main reasons to conduct this study and contribute to understanding the experts’ attitudes toward GM foods. Furthermore, we have treated the experts as consumers and this is another reason why the literature has focused on consumers.

  3. At the first stage of our data analysis we investigated the difference between the subpopulations (experts and researchers); although there were some differences, the magnitude of the differences was rather low and non-significant. This was the reason to lump the subpopulation together.

  4. The agricultural experts are those who work in the centers as an advisor. In case local farmers get technical problems, they come to the Rural Services Centers and receive advice from the experts. There are two major differences between such experts and agricultural extensions agents: the experts are high educated (university level) specialized persons in a specific discipline/crop while the agents are not necessarily high educated and specialized persons who normally give general advice which might include all agricultural disciplines/crops. Furthermore, the experts normally stay and work in the centers while the agents work out of the centers directly with the farmers. If farmers need specific advice, they might be directed by the agents to visit a specific expert in the centers.

  5. Each scale includes several perception questions which each had an ordinal ranking answer (from 1 to 5). The summation of the answers to each scale was.

  6. Our further analyses show that there is no significant difference among those respondents who hold invalid knowledge in this regard.

  7. In path analysis, the independent and dependent variables are respectively called exogenous and endogenous variables (Retherford and Choe 1993).

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Ghasemi, S., Karami, E. & Azadi, H. Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions of Agricultural Professionals Toward Genetically Modified (GM) Foods: A Case Study in Southwest Iran. Sci Eng Ethics 19, 1201–1227 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-012-9383-6

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