Food Policy, Trade, Markets, And Genetically Modified Foods: A Review Of The Literature On The Science, Technology, Politics, And Economics Of Labeling

The issue of whether or not to label will be a crucial one for the U.S. agricultural sector in the coming years. This paper develops a discussion of biotechnology in agriculture in the U.S., reports on the results of a survey to examine consumer response to labeling genetically modified foods, and discusses policy implications for markets and trade in genetically modified foods. Two hundred and fifty responses to a 2003 mail questionnaire survey were analyzed for the paper. Chi-square test of independence was applied to data. Analyses showed that only 4.6% of consumers agreed that labeling should not be required for any biotech foods, while 94.4% agreed with the statement that labeling should be required for some or all biotech foods sold in the U.S. At p q 0.001, chi-square tests showed that preferences for the labeling scenarios posed were dependent on gender, number of people in household, race, religious preference, age, education, place of residence, and income. Results can be used in providing guidance for labeling policy.