How the use of genomics may continue to influence consumer behavior

Genetic modification, as applied to agricultural crops (to a lesser extent livestock) has received a significant amount of academic attention. The question remains whether newer genomic applications to crops and livestock will be treated in the same way or in a different way by the public or by consumers. The new genomic tools, for example, gene editing, are varied applications of technology, potentially affecting all search, experience and credence attributes of foods produced. As one example, livestock can be gene edited to produce both organs for human transplant and meat with newer gene editing tools. Gene editing is being treated as a different technology by some government regulatory bodies. The distinctions between new genomic technologies and the older genetic modification suggest that consumer behaviour will continue to be influenced by the application of the newer technology in ways that are different from consumer responses to genetic modification.