Factors Influencing Stakeholders’ Behavioral Intention toward Bt Rice in Iran

Abstract

Every innovation, especially in the field of food, requires comprehensive risk assessment by stakeholders prior to their acceptance. This survey study aimed to explore the behavioral intentions of stakeholders towards Bt rice in Southwest Iran. The study consisted of two main groups of stakeholders including practitioners (from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Environment) and academics (from the Chamran, Ramin, and Jondishapoor universities) who were selected through proportional random sampling method. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire comprising six perceptional indicators including ‘trust in individuals and agencies’, ‘perception of benefits’, ‘perception of risks’, ‘ethics’, ‘attitude’ and ‘behavioral intention toward Bt rice’. Results revealed that there is a positive association between “perception of benefits”, “trust to individual and agencies”, “attitude” and “behavioral intention of the respondents”. The result of regression further showed that “attitude” and “perception of benefits” can explain the behavioral intention of the stakeholders towards Bt rice. The study concludes that if stakeholders find more advantages for Bt rice than disadvantages, they will be more optimistic about using it, and therefore more willing to work with it.