Study Links Institutional Trust to Greater Acceptance of GM Food

A study of 1,020 urban residents in three Chinese cities found that people's attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) food are influenced by their values and level of trust in institutions. The researchers found that scientific, social, and ecological views were linked to different perceptions of the benefits and risks of GM food, with institutional trust playing an important role in shaping these attitudes.

Researchers from Chengdu Vocational & Technical College of Industry and Sichuan University in China examined how the three types of rationality influenced perceptions of GM food. Scientific rationality, which emphasizes evidence and expert knowledge, was associated with stronger perceptions of benefits but not risks. Social rationality was linked to lower perceived benefits and higher perceived risks, while ecological rationality was associated with higher perceived risks. Institutional trust was positively linked to perceived benefits and attitudes and negatively linked to perceived risks.

The findings showed that people with scientific rationality developed more positive attitudes mainly through greater perceived benefits, while social and ecological rationality were more strongly linked to risk perceptions. The researchers recommended differentiated communication strategies, greater public participation, transparent risk assessment, and long-term efforts to strengthen institutional trust in GM food governance.

For more information, read the study from GM Crops & Food.