Determinants of public attitudes to genetically modified salmon

The objective of this paper is to assess the attitude of Malaysian stakeholders to genetically modified (GM) salmon and to identify the factors that influence their acceptance of GM salmon using a structural equation model. A survey was carried out on 434 representatives from various stakeholder gro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2014-01, Vol.9 (1), p.e86174-e86174
Main Authors: Amin, Latifah, Azad, Md Abul Kalam, Gausmian, Mohd Hanafy, Zulkifli, Faizah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Agriculture
Analysis
Animals
Aquaculture
Attitude
Attitudes
Biology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology - ethics
Developing countries
Familiarity
Female
Fish
Fishes
Food
Food Labeling
Food, Genetically Modified
Genetic modification
Genetically altered foods
Genetically engineered foods
Genetically modified animals
Humans
LDCs
Malaysia
Male
Medicine
Middle Aged
Patents as Topic
Salmon
Salmon - genetics
Science Policy
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social aspects
Social Perception
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
Valleys
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Summary:The objective of this paper is to assess the attitude of Malaysian stakeholders to genetically modified (GM) salmon and to identify the factors that influence their acceptance of GM salmon using a structural equation model. A survey was carried out on 434 representatives from various stakeholder groups in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Public attitude towards GM salmon was measured using self-developed questionnaires with seven-point Likert scales. The findings of this study have confirmed that public attitudes towards GM salmon is a complex issue and should be seen as a multi-faceted process. The most important direct predictors for the encouragement of GM salmon are the specific application-linked perceptions about religious acceptability of GM salmon followed by perceived risks and benefits, familiarity, and general promise of modern biotechnology. Encouragement of GM salmon also involves the interplay among other factors such as general concerns of biotechnology, threatening the natural order of things, the need for labeling, the need for patenting, confidence in regulation, and societal values. The research findings can serve as a database that will be useful for understanding the social construct of public attitude towards GM foods in a developing country.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0086174