Abstract
This study explores the causal relationship between Internet users’ ideologies and their corresponding attitudes to genetically modified (GM) food safety. Using the 2015 Chinese Internet User Survey data (N = 3780) as a representative sample of Internet users from China, the study investigates factors influencing people’s attitudes to GM food safety. Multinomial Logistic Regression Models are applied to examine the effects of demographic features (gender, age, education, family annual income, location, CPC membership, and occupation) and ideological factors (general ideology, political ideology, economic ideology, and cultural ideology) on attitudes to GM food safety. The results demonstrate that the percentage of people whose attitude is that “GM food is risky” (35.1%) surpasses those who think “GM food is safe” (20.4%). The young generation respondents think that GM food is safe, while those with higher levels of income and education are more inclined to view GM food as risky. In addition, public sector employees tend to think that GM food is risky. Respondents characterized with right-wing ideology in general tend to regard GM food as safe, compared to left-wing ideologists. However, their attitude varies in different ideological dimensions of politics, economics, and culture. This paper contributes new insights into understanding ideological influences on science development and sustainability.
Highlights
Genetic engineering is one of the most powerful 21st century technologies
What’s more, we found that respondents with right-wing ideology in economic issues are more likely to believe that genetically modified (GM) food is risky
This paper contributes to the current understanding of attitudes toward GM food safety in China in three important ways
Summary
Genetic engineering is one of the most powerful 21st century technologies. In 1985, the genes from Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) were inserted into the genetic sequences of tobacco plants, in order to make the plants insect-tolerant [1]. Several Bt genes were engineered and subsequently approved for use in crops like cotton, corn, mustard, and rice. These crops were labelled as genetically modified (GM) foods [2,3]. The goal of increased yields was considered to be the prime application when GM technology was first introduced [1,3,4,5]. GM technology enables crops to produce insecticidal proteins, which offers a means to control insects without the potential harmful effects caused by the misuse of synthetic insecticides [8]. GM technology can directly improve crop yields by accelerating growth rates, or increasing the size of the crop plant [1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
