Abstract
The cultivation of genetically modified plants is controversial. In the Polish society, the opponents of GMOs are strongly lobbying against it, claiming that it is harmful, unnecessary and unethical. Experts in the field of biotechnology, however, state that there is no reason for concern and that genetic modifications provide undisputable benefits. The paper presents the opinions of 128 farmers from the Świetokrzyskie and Opolskie Provinces on GMO crops and food, which were compared with the assessments of experts in the field of biotechnology. On average, the research results showed a negative attitude of the respondents and a low level of knowledge about GMOs. Convinced of its harmfulness, the farmers expressed little interest in the cultivation of genetically modified crops, although being aware of the advantages of the modification (including resistance to pathogens, lower costs, better quality features). The farmers younger in age, better educated, and running larger farms showed greater openness to GMO cultivation. Lack of adequate knowledge and even false perceptions about GMOs in the small sample indicate the need for more extensive surveying of the farming community in Poland, as well as the need for a substantive discussion of the benefits and potential risks.
Highlights
The issue of genetic modification of crops has for many years been the subject of public debate and controversial opinions about the potential benefits and threats, especially in the context of food production
According to the definition of the Polish Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS), a genetically modified organism (GMO) is “an organism other than a human being, in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur in natural conditions, in result of crossing or natural recombination”
The research confirmed that the opinions of the farmers in Poland about genetically modified plants are consistent with the stereotypes in the Polish society
Summary
The issue of genetic modification of crops has for many years been the subject of public debate and controversial opinions about the potential benefits and threats, especially in the context of food production. Modified food means “food consisting of, containing or produced from GMOs” (GIS, 2018). In 2017, the area of genetically modified plants cultivated worldwide was almost 190 million ha. 10 years earlier it was 114 million ha. The leader in GMO cultivation was the United States, where the cultivation area in 2017 was almost 75 million ha. Brazil was in the second place with a cultivation area of 50.2 million ha, and in the third place was Argentina (23.6 million ha) (ISAAA, 2018). Almost 1/3 of the crop is maize; cotton and rapeseed are popular (Niemirowicz-Szczytt, 2012)
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