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Abstract
This paper reports on a review of literature in the form of academic papers and published
research on ethical and consumer issues for GM crops in North America, with particular
emphasis on GM wheat. The issues raised in these papers and the findings and arguments
posed by the authors are outlined. A general conclusion that can be drawn from this
overview is that public attitudes toward GM foods are diverse and sometimes quite
strongly held. The strong negative views of GM food held by some appear to be mainly
grounded in individuals’ ethical or moral values. Ethical and risk assessment issues have
not been fully explored in the existing literature. There is a general consensus in the
applied economics literature that GM crops result in economic benefits, although benefits
to individual consumers may not be great enough to overcome perceived risk. Carefully
planned provision of credible information informing members of the public of benefits
and related issues of concern or costs associated with agricultural biotechnology may
have benefits for farm and industry groups, but maintenance of trust in information
sources and content is vital to credibility. The discovery and use of genomic techniques
that express explicit consumer benefits may lead to more favourable attitudes by many
consumers.