Understanding the Factors Influencing Attitudes toward Genetically Modified Rice

Previous studies have shown that consumer acceptance of genetically modified (GM) food is driven by many factors such as moral aspects, specific risk–benefit perception, and religious judgement. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing attitudes toward GM rice by the Malaysian public. A survey was carried out on 509 respondents consisting of various stakeholder groups in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Results of the study have confirmed that the most important direct predictor of attitudes to GM rice is the perceived benefit and religious acceptance. Attitudes toward GM rice also involve the interplay of other factors such as engagement with biotechnology, confidence in the key players, attitudes to technology, attitudes to nature, religiosity, perceived risk, and perceived moral concern, confirming that public perception toward the products resulting from genetic engineering, such as GM rice, should be seen as a multifaceted process.