Use Of Genetically Modified Organisms Research Articles

Assessing the environmental fate of rAAV in activated sludge and water: Implications for environmental risk assessments and GMO regulatory frameworks

During the past +20 years, recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have emerged as the primary vehicle of choice for in vivo gene therapy. rAAV vectors are classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), therefore specific biosafety laws apply regarding their use. Environmental agencies participating in the review of clinical trial applications involving viral-based gene therapies (eg based on AAV) focus among other phenomena especially on shedding, a mechanism by which rAAV vectors exit a patient's body and enter the natural environment. For example, following patient use, shed viral particles excreted in urine and feces enter the wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) and subsequently may be released into the natural environment through wastewater effluent discharges. Based on basic molecular biology, it is generally assumed by the scientific community that shed rAAV particles will undergo degradation during the wastewater treatment process. However, despite their importance and increase in use during the last few decades, actual data to support our understanding of the environmental fate of shed rAAV vector particles is unavailable. Data to support this assumption would greatly enhance our knowledge and understanding of degradation kinetics associated with rAAV in the environment. Such data would also provide strong scientific support for changes in current legislation regarding the medicinal use of GMOs. Therefore, the goal of this research was to conduct laboratory experiments to assess the actual environmental fate of rAAV virions.In this study the stability of 4 different rAAV vectors (based on wildtype (wt) AAV serotypes 2,3,6,9) was assessed during incubation in activated sludge (containing live microorganisms). This setting corresponds to conditions as encountered in WWTFs, and has been used in order to assess rAAV fate under environmentally relevant conditions, to gain a better understanding of the general environmental risk posed by shed rAAV particles. The amount of detectable virions in the supernatant, as measured by sensitive and specific qPCR, rapidly decreased within hours and continued to decline, reaching the lower limit of quantitation prior to or by study termination on day 7. Furthermore, a half-life of approximately 7 days for rAAV virions was determined under abiotic conditions, during a room temperature incubation experiment of rAAV vectors in water in the absence of any microbiota or sludge.The findings from this study provide the first insight of its kind into the actual environmental fate of shed rAAV particles, and help the community to better understand the potential impact of rAAVs on the environment. It has become evident now that shed particles are not equipped to remain stable and/or soluble once entering a typical WWTF and therefore do not pose a threat to the natural environment. These findings support a data-driven approach towards a simplified, risk-based regulation of medicinal GMOs in the EU and other regions.

CONTROVERSY OVER HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: Which way for developing countries?

The Ghana Public Health Association organized a scientific seminar in April 2014 to examine the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into public use, and their potential health consequences. The seminar was driven by current public debate on the subject. Concerns have been raised about use of GMOs, especially in developing countries, for a variety of reasons including ethical and biosafety considerations. The seminar identified some of their advantages such as introduction of pest resistant, disease resistant, and drought tolerant crops; potential for reduced use of chemicals and pesticides; improving the nutritional properties of crops, and huge potential for production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Potential health concerns raised included current efforts focusing primarily on a few crop/trait combinations of high commercial value; most trial designs are laboratory design and of short duration; increasing observation of trends in organ disease with use of GMOs, and lack of labeling of GMO products that hinder post-marketing surveillance. There is the need to enhance local capacity to research the introduction and use of GMOs; to put in place appropriate regulatory mechanisms including, particularly, the labeling of their products, and long-term post-marketing surveillance for possible negative health consequences. Furthermore, the appropriate state agency should put in place advocacy and communication strategies to keep the public informed about the health and other consequences of GMOs, for informed public choices.

Priming of Gmo-Related News Stories Aired by Citizen Television in October 2022 for Public Awareness among Kenyans

Global concerns about climate change and how it affects people’s lives have grown recently. One of the biggest concerns is drought, which has caused food shortages in many African nations. As a result, the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) has become a popular strategy many nations use to combat food scarcity. However, many people in countries that support the use of GMOs still need to comprehend the issue entirely. In light of this, informing the public about what GMOs mean when combating food shortages is crucial, especially in developing nations like Kenya. Thus, conducting thorough research on the role of mass media in raising public awareness about this crucial subject was vital. The scope of the study was limited to Citizen Television, one of the most-watched television channels in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to examine the priming of GMO-related news stories aired by Citizen Television in October 2022 to raise public awareness among Kenyans. It was further guided by two specific objectives: (a) To investigate the positive priming of GMO-related news stories aired by Citizen Television in October 2022 in a bid to raise public awareness among Kenyans and (b) To evaluate the negative priming of GMO-related news stories aired by Citizen Television in October 2022 in a bid to raise public awareness among Kenyans. The research used the priming theory for its theoretical framework. A qualitative content analysis of Citizen Television’s news coverage of GMO-related news stories in October 2022 was used as the research design. During data collection, fourteen Citizen TV news stories from its online database were accessed, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed using a content analysis code drafted from the critical attributes of the study objectives. Research findings revealed that positive priming, like potential agricultural breakthroughs and crop resilience, and negative priming, such as constitutional and public involvement, health, and environmental concerns of GMO news, were utilized to sensitize Kenyans about GMOs. The study recommended that Citizen Television develop a balanced presentation of benefits and concerns in its priming strategies.

Risk or License? Precautionary Principle’s Transition in Genetically Modified Organisms’ Benefits After Job Creation Law

This article aims to discuss the implementation of precautionary principle on the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in Indonesia as well as to identify and evaluate the changes of provisions on precautionary principles related to the use of GMOs as stipulated in the Environmental Law and the later Job Creation Law in Indonesia. This article employs normative legal research that descriptively examines humans, circumstances, and other phenomena to strengthen old theories and support new theories that are still in the drafting stage. It uses secondary data sources consisting of primary legal materials and secondary legal materials. The result shows that the implementation of precautionary principle on the use of GMOs is based on the Environmental Law and the Job Creation Law which can be seen in the AMDAL. Under the Environmental Law, the implementation of precautionary principle prioritizes the importance of a risk's impact before the activity is carried out. Whereas in the Job Creation Law, the operation of an activity adjusts the level of risk, namely low, medium, and high. Hence, based on Job Creation Law, a business activity that already utilizes GMOs is allowed to conduct its operation if the risk is assessed as low. It is due to a transition between the risk approach in the Environmental Law and the licensing approach in the Job Creation Law. This article suggests that in GMO usage, the government should find more specific precautionary implementation than regulations and labels since regulations alone are too abstract to comprehend in a society.

Attitudes of the Ecuadorian University Community Toward Genetically Modified Organisms.

Introduction: The acceptance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by the civilian population in Ecuador is a controversial issue, where beliefs and practices are determinant. In Ecuador, the use of GMOs for research or productive purposes has been banned since 2008; however, the current position of the population toward this technology is unknown. Objective: The aim of the study was to explain the attitude toward GMOs in the Ecuadorian university population based on sociodemographic variables, knowledge, beliefs, practices, and bioethical approach. Methods: A validated survey was applied to 719 students and teachers of the Catholic University of Cuenca through Google Forms. The collected data were processed using SPSS 23.0 software. Multivariate and linear regression analyses were used to explain the attitude toward GMOs based on the variables studied. Results: Partial approval of GMO use is research-oriented, with a rejection toward food. The linear regression model explained 65% of the variance of attitude toward GMOs from the beliefs, practices, knowledge, and bioethical approach variables. The sociodemographic variables were completely excluded from the model due to the absence of statistical significance. Conclusions: The incipient acceptance of GMOs in the academic sector corroborates a transformation in the thinking of Ecuadorian civil society. Considerations on the use of GMOs are supported by a bioethical approach that leans toward a pragmatic utilitarianism based on the immediate or mediate benefits of the technology.

Changing public opinions on genetically modified organisms through access to educational resources

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are crops or animals that have been genetically engineered to express a certain physical or biological characteristic. Genetically modified foods have become increasingly popular based on the various benefits that genetically modified crops can provide, such as pest and drought resistance and increased yield and nutritional content. However, the public has had mixed reactions on the use of GMOs, as some believe it is an advancement in technology, while others are skeptical of their safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how opinions on genetically modified foods can change from exposure to small amounts of information. The following question guided the study: How do personal opinions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) change after being exposed to a small amount of educational information on GMOs? We tested the hypothesis that if participants were given educational resources to learn about GMOs, then they would have a more favorable opinion. We collected preliminary opinions via a survey, exposed the participant to a small sample of educational information about GMOs, and then collected opinions again. At the end of the survey, the percentage of participants who agreed with the use of GMOs in the United States increased by 27%. As the agricultural industry becomes increasingly aware of the benefits of GMOs, consumers must also approve of GMOs for them to be implemented. GMOs could be a possible solution to world hunger and climate impacts from agriculture, but they will be useless unless consumers feel confident and are educated in the science behind GMOs.

GMO analysis technique based on PCR and real-time PCR methods

The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is promising for overcoming the shortage of food products in the world and solving the problem of hunger arising in various regions. At the same time, the use of GMOs has become a cause of debate, as the safety of consuming GMO products for human health remains unproven. The risks associated with GMOs cause public concern, which has led to the restriction of the use of GMOs and their products in many countries and the need for constant control of their content in food products. This study describes methods based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), such as Real-time PCR and PCR with electrophoretic separation of amplificates, which are generally accepted in GMO analysis. In order to control the presence of GMOs in food raw materials, feed and finished products of plant and animal origin, screening is carried out for the presence of the most common genetic engineering structures used during the creation of GMOs: CaMV 35S promoter and NOS terminator. Both Real-time PCR and PCR with electrophoretic separation of amplificates allow to establish the presence of GMOs with high accuracy, and Real-time PCR is also used to determine the concentration of GMOs in the studied samples. The work presents a typical electrophoresis with visualization of the obtained PCR fragments that required electrophoretic separation and fragments that were synthesized in the Real-time PCR reaction, and determined the approximate sizes of the obtained fragments relative to the pBR322 DNA-MspI molecular weight marker. The approach described in this study, based on the use of PCR techniques, can be successfully used for GMO analysis of all groups of raw materials and finished products of animal and plant origin, and is also well adapted for the detection of various genetic engineering structures, not limited to the CaMV 35S promoter and terminator NOS, which makes it possible to increase the efficiency of such analysis and continue its application in relation to new genetic engineering structures used during the creation of GMOs. Keywords: genetically modified organisms (GMOs), PCR methods, GMO analysis, raw materials and finished products of plant and animal origin

Europe's Farm to Fork Strategy and Its Commitment to Biotechnology and Organic Farming: Conflicting or Complementary Goals?

The European Commission's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, under the European Green Deal, acknowledges that innovative techniques, including biotechnology, may play a role in increasing sustainability. At the same time, organic farming will be promoted, and at least 25% of the EU's agricultural land shall be under organic farming by 2030. How can both biotechnology and organic farming be developed and promoted simultaneously to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? We illustrate that achieving the SDGs benefits from the inclusion of recent innovations in biotechnology in organic farming. This requires a change in the law. Otherwise, the planned increase of organic production in the F2F strategy may result in less sustainable, not more sustainable, food systems.

Current situation and challenges in production, use and control of the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the world, European Union and Republic of Srpska

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genome has been engineered in a way that could never happen in normal reproduction or natural recombination of existing genes within species, which means in a way that would never happen in nature. First generation of genetically modified plants have been engineered in order to facilitate their cultivation and varieties and hybrids of herbicide tolerant genetically modified plants dominated as well as plants resistant to various harmful organisms (insects and phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses). These days there is rapid work on further research and gradual introduction of the so-called second and third generation of GM plants with improved nutritional quality and new technological and other traits, such as delayed fruit ripening, stress resistance as well as drought, salinity and low soil fertility tolerance, which all together open up new approaches and opportunities to overcome the well-known limitations of tropical agriculture. However, biotechnology is currently under the light of internal debate between the supportive ones and those who are bitter opponents of GMOs. This debate includes not only scientific but also political, economic, social, health, ethical and philosophical issues. For scientists, but also for all of us, this is a great challenge that requires much more extensive, transparent and engaging research, including the allocation of decision-making and profit in a completely new way. The paper describes the current situation of production, legislation and use of GMOs in the world, European Union and in our country, as well as the most significant challenges production, approval, use and control of genetically modified organisms face today.

GMO Corn in México: Precaution as Law’s Decolonial Option

For over six years now, the law has been central to policy debates about genetically modified organism (GMO) corn in México, the birthplace of maíz (corn). In the lawsuit Colectividad del Maíz, the domestic courts have shaped the policy on GMO corn. Out of concern for biodiversity, the courts have suspended regulatory approval for commercial GMO corn permits needed by seed companies. This article uses decolonial theory to examine how the law can both encourage and limit the use of GMOs. Decolonial perspectives isolate how economics, legal authorities, and ideologies work in unison to shape relations between the Global South and private interests. This is accomplished by defining the subject of any such legal regulations. Different legal doctrines treat GMOs in different and distinct ways. Under the doctrines of biosecurity, intellectual property, and international trade law, markets and biotechnology benefit as the subject of the law. Such doctrines disenfranchise maíz nativo (non-GMO corn) by making it the law’s object. The article also adopts Bruno Latour’s theory of “down to earth” politics to identify important changes in GMO regulations. Collective action litigation has limited the expansion of GMO corn via the application of precautionary principle measures and motivated new legislation in México.

A convenient renewable surface plasmon resonance chip for relative quantification of genetically modified soybean in food and feed.

The cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMO) continues to expand worldwide. Still, many consumers express concerns about the use of GMO in food or feed, and many countries have legislated on labelling systems to indicate the presence of GMO in commercial products. To deal with the increased number of GMO events and to address related regulations, alternative detection methods for GMO inspection are required. In this work, a genosensor based on Surface Plasmon Resonance under continuous flow was developed for the detection and quantification of a genetically modified soybean (event GTS 40-3-2). In a single chip, the simultaneous detection of the event-specific and the taxon-specific samples were achieved, whose detection limits were 20 pM and 16 pM, respectively. The reproducibility was 1.4%, which supports the use of the chip as a reliable and cost-effective alternative to other DNA-based techniques. The results indicate that the proposed method is a versatile tool for GMO quantification in food and feed samples.

Оцінка впливу використання генетично модифікованої продукції на стан продовольчої безпеки

В статті розглядаються економіко-соціальні аспекти впливу генетично модифікованої продукціїна стан продовольчої безпеки, зокрема фізичну і економічну доступність продовольства, пропозиціюпродовольчих товарів, ціноутворення та умови конкуренції. Аналізуються сутність та причини ство-рення та застосування ГМО, поширення ГМО у світі та окремих країнах і вплив використання генетич-но модифікованої продукції на продовольчу безпеку. Проаналізовано правову базу та методи держав-ного регулювання генетично модифікованої продукції в різних країнах. Акцентовано увагу на рольтранснаціональних монополій у використанні досягнень науково-технічного прогресу, зокрема ГМО.Досліджується вплив використання ГМО на стан конкурентного середовища національних виробниківсільськогосподарської продукції. Виявлено такі опосередковані наслідки запровадження у сільськогос-подарський оборот ГМ-продукції, як звуження біологічного природного різноманіття, асортименту хар-чових продуктів, що негативно позначається на умовах життя людини. Обґрунтовується необхідністьдержавного регулювання генетично модифікованої продукції в Україні та наголошено на проблемнихпитаннях регулювання використання ГМО .

Peer Teaching Increases Knowledge and Changes Perceptions about Genetically Modified Crops in Non-Science Major Undergraduates.

We analyzed effects of peer teaching on non–science major undergraduates’ knowledge, perceptions, and opinions about genetically modified (GM) crops and their use in agriculture. Undergraduates enrolled in an introductory nonmajors biology course participated in a service-learning program (SLP) in which they acted as cross-age peer teachers to high school students, teaching about the role of genetics in crop improvement through traditional breeding and GM approaches. Using pre/postassessments, we found that undergraduates’ opinions shifted to favor the use of GM organisms (GMOs) in agriculture after SLP participation, rising from 46 to 97%. Perceptions about risks and benefits of GMOs also shifted from 43% stating that GMOs are harmful or suspect to no students describing GMOs in that way. Knowledge about GMOs became more accurate after SLP participation. There were significant correlations between students who had negative perceptions of GMOs and negative opinions or inaccurate knowledge about them. Students recognized the effect of peer teaching on their knowledge and perceptions, identifying the repeated peer teaching as an important factor in knowledge gain. Our results suggest students developed an informed opinion about the use of GMOs through first learning the science of genetic engineering and then teaching this information to younger students.

How Formal and Informal Institutional Environments Affect The Way Greenpeace Fights Genetically-Modified Organisms in Europe and The United States

We applied institutional theory to examine the effect of differences in institutional pressures on strategic decisions of a non-profit non-governmental organization, Greenpeace, in its fight to stop the use of genetically-modified organisms. The effects of differences in institutional pressures were examined through examining differences between the United States and the European Union as well as between two European nations, France and Spain, in Greenpeace’s strategy. We suggested that formal and informal institutional pressures influence strategic decision-making in Greenpeace’s independent national units. We proposed that the US differs from the EU in both formal and informal institutional environments, Spain and France differ in the informal dimension, and these differences are reflected in Greenpeace’s strategies. We also argued that Greenpeace exemplifies the successful use of a transnational strategy and discussed that non-profits may be better able to adopt a transnational strategy than do for-profits. To cite this document: Stephen R. Luxmore and Clyde Eirikur Hull, Are Non-Profits Better at Adopting a Transnational Strategy Than For-Profits? How Environments Affect the Way Greenpeace Fights Genetically-Modified Organisms in Europe and the United States, Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 225-252, 2018. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.17889

The Nobel Laureates’ Campaign Supporting GMOs

More than 800 million people suffer from hunger in the world. Using modern plant breeding methods to generate so-called GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), agricultural scientists have shown that crop yields and nutritional quality can be greatly improved. Many GMO varieties have been specifically developed with the aim of being resistant to pests, tolerant to drought and containing beneficial nutrients. This leads to a reduction in the use of insecticides in water and on land. If anything, the GMO varieties are safer than traditionally bred varieties because they are made in a very precise manner. However, the scientific evidence on this issue is being ignored by the Green Parties such as Greenpeace who continue to deny the science and mislead the public. 129 Nobel Laureates have joined in a campaign to convince the Green Parties and the public that they should support the use of GMOs, especially for the sake of the developing world.

Genetically modified foods in the opinion of the second-year students of biology, biotechnology and tourism and recreation of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce – a preliminary study

Abstract The aim of this work was to assess knowledge of and to identify awareness in second-year students of biology, biotechnology and tourism and recreation, regarding the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food. The analysis of obtained results shows that about 98% of respondents know the concept of GMO and highly appreciate their knowledge of this topic. The main source of knowledge about GMO for the students is the Internet and the University. It is worth noting that 59% of respondents are aware of the use of GMO in food, while more than half do not know how the GMO in food should be labeled. In particular, students of biotechnology showed a distinctive knowledge about GMO. Over half of students of the Jan Kochanowski University in the fields of biology, biotechnology, and tourism and recreation (55%) recognized that the use of GMO poses a threat to human health.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the United Kingdom: A Proposal for Moderate GMO Regulations Post-Brexit, and an Opportunity in Genetically Modified Wheat

The use of GMOs is a contentious topic internationally, with the stringency of regulations varying widely between countries. While the United States has chosen to adopt permissive regulations, the EU in contrast has enacted some of the strictest regulations in the world. The current EU GMO regulations have not authorized a GM product since 2001. With the passage of the referendum authorizing the British exit from the EU, the UK has the chance to create more permissive regulations than those it was previously required to adopt due to membership in the EU. While the UK should not deregulate its existing framework to the permissiveness of the US,it should adopt more moderate rules than the EU. The moderate rules would allow the UK to take advantage of the growing GM crop market—and in particular the newly emerging GM wheat market—without compromising the safety of its citizens. More specifically, these moderate regulations call for an expanding of the evidentiary threshold for the precautionary rule, maintenance of labeling requirements, and the creation of a public awareness campaign to increase public knowledge about GMOs.

Why Organic Farming Should Embrace Co-Existence with Cisgenic Late Blight–Resistant Potato

The EU regulation on organic farming does not allow the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which are subject to Directive 2001/18/EC. Mutagenesis using irradiation or chemicals is genetic modification, but the organisms obtained through these techniques are not subject to the provisions of the GMO directive. Such mutants can therefore be used in organic agriculture. Derived from its basic principles, organic farming can only use natural substances to control disease and crops should be resilient, which, in the case of disease resistance, means that durable (horizontal) resistance is preferred to vertical (single gene) resistance. Cisgenesis can achieve such a durable resistance by introducing multiple resistance genes in one step. These multiple-resistant plants only contain natural genes that can also be introduced by breeding. In case cisgenic plants are not subject to the provisions of the GMO legislation, they can even be legally used in organic agriculture. In case they are not exempted from the GMO regulation, the question is: why obstruct a cisgenic potato crop that can hardly be distinguished from a potato crop that is the result of conventional breeding? Among the reasons why organic agriculture does not allow the use of GMOs it is mentioned that genetic engineering is unpredictable, it causes genome disruption and it is unnatural. However, our knowledge of plant genome evolution and breeding has increased dramatically. We now know that breeding is more unpredictable and causes more genome disruption than genetic engineering. Recent field trials have shown the efficacy of cisgenic late blight–resistant potatoes carrying multiple resistance genes. Large-scale growing of such durably resistant potatoes would not only be environmentally beneficial by it would strongly reducing the need for fungicide sprays in conventional potato cultivation and it would also reduce the disease pressure in organic potato cultivation.

Perceptions and attitudes of the Mexican urban population towards genetically modified organisms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure Mexicans’ perceptions and attitudes about the production and consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire with 63 questions that encompassed 11 latent factors was used to obtain information. The questionnaire was administered to 14,720 people in Mexico’s urban areas. Findings The results revealed important similarities and differences with studies in other countries, showing mainly that the respondents did not have sufficient information about GMOs, they have low level of knowledge about GMOs (31.28 percent), are highly distrustful of GMOs, perceive high risk regarding GMOs (59.13 percent), want transgenic products to be labeled (93.59 percent) and do not perceive GMOs’ social values and positive health effects beyond increasing agricultural productivity. Also, it was observed that the higher the educational level of individuals, the lower the acceptance of GMOs. Research limitations/implications The authors conclude that it is necessary to generate and provide scientifically accurate information on GMOs, so that people are better informed and can give a critical opinion on the use of GMOs. Practical implications The major practical contribution of this research is that it provides empirical knowledge about the perceptions and attitudes toward the production and consumption of GMOs among the Mexican’s urban society, which can be of great help for the Mexican government to rethink if it is an appropriate moment to completely open the doors to international companies to cultivate crops like maize and others that have been postponed due to pressure from the environmental groups, farmers and other sectors of the society. Social implications This is especially important in the context of maize as it is part of the cultural heritage of Mexico since ancient times. However, it is not clear what the overall perception is in the Mexican society on the use of GMOs for cultivation. Originality/value Southern regions of Mexico are the center of origin of several cultivated plants such as maize and legumes. The introduction of GMOs, called transgenics, in agriculture and food continues to cause enormous controversy in the perceptions and attitudes mainly among environmental groups and farmers in Mexico.

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF LATVIAN CONSUMER’S ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Genetic modification and genetically modified organisms (GMO) remains a controversial issue. Latvian consumers’ attitude towards genetic modification and GMO have been characterized as negative using Eurobarometer data, but so far no specific investigation of Latvian consumers has been done in this field. The aim of this study was to analyse Latvian consumers’ attitude towards genetic modification and GMO, the subjective and objective knowledge about this questions and acceptability of use of GMO in different application areas. Main task in frame of this research is to summarize different literature and data available to outline some of factors that influence attitudes towards GMO: mainly public subjective and objective knowledge, perception on risk and benefits, and ethical concerns. The survey method was chosen as a tool to collect data and elicit Latvian consumers’ attitude towards use of GMO in different industries. The survey was composed of 18 questions; seven of them have been structured on one to ten-point scale. The survey data of Latvia’s inhabitants (N = 1184) were collected by the telemarketing company from September 2014 until June 2015. To select the units to be included in the sample systematic sampling was applied - every twentieth inhabitant was approached by phone call and invited to answer on survey questions. The results of Latvian consumers’ survey showed that Latvians’ acceptability of genetic modification varies by application area; genetically modified non-food products are more accepted than GM food and feed products. Ethical and moral aspects play essential role among Latvian consumers. Respondents’ subjective and objective knowledge of genetic modification and GMO differs. The findings would be essential to policy makers when designing risk-communication strategies targeting different consumer segments to ensure proper discussion and addressing potential concerns about genetic modification. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.10.14628