Why is the public afraid of transgenic crops?
Interviewed: This fear of genetically engineered crops is essentially based on 5 main reasons: 1. Fear of a new technology. The public has always had a certain apprehension about a new technology that is not fully understood by non-specialists. Despite the fact that security and quality about these new foods has been shown to be equivalent or even superior to their conventional counterparts, the fear that this food can harm consumer or public health in the long term is still present in consumer’s minds. In other words, the absence of evidenced risks to the public is not anymore a criterion of confidence in a new product. 2. Dominance of the transnational companies. The public feel in general that large corporations particularly those from the USA and EU are only interested in increasing their profit without worrying about possible negative impacts. This concern is particularly strong in Europe. 3. Distrust of regulatory agencies. Unfortunately, in the last couple of years, the world ha
