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Abstract
India has more than 215 million food insecure people, many of whom are farmers.
Genetically modified (GM) crops have the potential to alleviate this problem by
increasing food supplies and strengthening farmer livelihoods. For this to occur, two
factors are critical: (1) a change in the regulatory status of GM crops, and (2) consumer
acceptance of GM foods. There are generally two classifications of GM crops based on
how they are bred: cisgenically-bred, derived from sexually compatible organisms, and
transgenically-bred, derived from sexually incompatible organisms. Consumers may
view cisgenic foods as more natural than those produced via transgenesis, thus
influencing consumer acceptance. This premise was the catalyst for our study—would
Indian consumers accept cisgenically-bred rice and if so, how would they value
cisgenics compared to conventionally-bred rice, GM-labeled rice, and “no fungicide”
rice? In this willingness-to-pay study, respondents did not view cisgenic and GM rice
differently. However, participants were willing-to-pay a premium for any
aforementioned rice with a “no fungicide” attribute, which cisgenics and GM could
provide. Lastly, 76% and 73% of respondents stated a willingness-to-consume GM and
cisgenic foods, respectively.