Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：PALGRAVE MACMILLAN LTD  

This study empirically examined expert and public attitudes toward applying gene editing to agricultural crops compared with attitudes toward other genetic modification and conventional breeding technologies. Regulations regarding the application of gene editing on food are being debated around the world. New policy measures often face issues of public acceptance and consensus formation; however, reliable quantitative evidence of public perception toward such emerging breeding technologies is scarce. To fill this gap, two web-based surveys were conducted in Japan from December 2016 to February 2017. Participants (N = 3197) were categorised into three groups based on the domain-specific scientific knowledge levels (molecular biology experts, experts in other fields, and lay public). Statistical analysis revealed group differences in risk, benefit, and value perceptions of different technologies. Molecular biology experts had higher benefit and value perceptions, as well as lower risk perceptions regarding new technologies (gene editing and genetic modification). Although the lay public tended to have more favourable attitudes toward gene editing than toward genetic modification, such differences were much smaller than the differences between conventional breeding and genetic modification. The experts in other fields showed some characteristics that are similar to the experts in molecular biology in value perceptions, while showing some characteristics that are similar to the lay public in risk perceptions. The further statistical analyses of lay attitudes revealed the influence of science literacy on attitudinal change toward crops grown with new breeding technologies in benefit perceptions but not in risk or value perceptions. Such results promoted understanding on distinguishing conditions where deficit model explanation types are valid and conditions where they are not.

DOI： 10.1057/s41599-019-0328-4

Web of Science

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This study statistically explored public perceptions of the risks and benefits of the agricultural application of gene editing to food crops using online surveys in the US (n = 2,050), Japan (n = 1,842), and Germany (n = 1,962). The American participants exhibited the most positive attitudes toward this emerging technology. Japanese participants demonstrated similar attitudes to German participants regarding risk perceptions and demonstrated closer attitudes to American participants regarding benefit perceptions. Further, the American participants did not highly differentiate between gene-edited and conventionally bred foods when compared to German and Japanese participants. Presentation of information using either animal or plant illustrations did not have any impact on risk perceptions toward gene-edited crops in the three countries, but the German and Japanese people who were given information with plant illustrations showed higher perceptions of benefit than those who were given the same information but with animal illustrations. The study results empirically indicate that despite receiving the same information under the same experimental conditions, perceptions can vary among countries. Our survey and provision of contrasting information illustrations, as well as including participants from an Asian country—Japan—in addition to Americans and Germans broadens the framework of civic epistemology.

DOI： 10.1177/01622439221123830

Scopus

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：The Food System Research Association of Japan  

DOI： 10.5874/jfsr.21_00034

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

<title>Abstract</title><sec>
<title>Background</title>
This study statistically explores the relationship between information provision and peoples’ attitudes towards the application of gene-editing technology to food, by contrasting cases of gene-edited livestock and vegetables in Japan. Japanese food producers and researchers are optimistic about the application of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) approach to food. Due to the strict regulations regarding genetically modified (GM) food, GM crops are not commercially cultivated in Japan. Consumers worldwide have concerns about application of this technology to food. Further examination of this issue for Japanese consumers with lower acceptance towards GM food should provide essential information for global agricultural communities.


</sec><sec>
<title>Methods</title>
Using a web survey, split-ballot experimental design was used to randomly assign the respondents into two groups: (1) the animal group, for which information on breeding technologies, including gene editing, was provided using pig illustrations. (2) The plant group, for which information was provided using tomato illustrations. Multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc t-tests were applied to examine the statistical differences between the plant and animal groups for attitudes towards gene-edited livestock and vegetables. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine if scientific knowledge influences these attitudes.


</sec><sec>
<title>Results</title>
Respondents found gene-edited vegetables more beneficial than gene-edited livestock. Their agreement was stronger for vegetables than for livestock. Respondents’ attitudes towards gene-edited livestock differed depending on whether they were shown pig illustrations or tomato illustrations. The plant group scored significantly lower regarding gene-edited livestock compared to the animal group. No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in the case of gene-edited vegetables. Furthermore, the higher science literacy group always scored higher regarding improvements in vegetable breeding, but this was not concordant regarding improvements in livestock breeding.


</sec><sec>
<title>Conclusions</title>
People were more concerned about gene-edited livestock than gene-edited vegetables. The respondents who were provided information with tomato illustrations in advance demonstrated lower acceptance towards gene-edited livestock than those who were provided information with pig illustrations. Applying the technology to livestock, such as size enlargement for improvements, might be considered as risky by the public, in contrast with vegetables.


</sec>

DOI： 10.1186/s43170-021-00029-8

Other Link： http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43170-021-00029-8/fulltext.html

Total pages：vii, 252p   Language：Japanese

CiNii Books

Total pages：xvi, 760p   Language：Japanese

CiNii Books