Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Special Issue: XXXII Conference of the Italian Society of Agri-Food Economics (SIEA): “Knowledge and Information for a Sustainable and Innovative Agri-Food System”. Ragusa (Italy), 27-29 June, 2024

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2025)

Consumer’s attitude in driving choices towards wine products derived from New Genomic Techniques (NGTs)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/ecag2025oa18790
Submitted
novembre 7, 2024
Published
2025-09-12

Abstract

New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) present an opportunity to enhance plant resistance to parasites or diseases, reducing dependence on agrochemicals, and to extreme climatic events such as heavy rainfall or long periods of drought, thus fostering better adaptation to climate change. However, the diffusion of these techniques may encounter obstacles deriving from the reluctance of farmers, who have to sustain costs in the introduction of new technologies whose production results are still uncertain, but also the resistance of the market, given the still widespread reluctance of consumers in accepting wine products derived from the use of these technologies.
Using original survey data from 1,045 respondents, we examine Italian consumers’ acceptance of and decision to buy NGT wine products. To achieve this, we developed two indicators to assess the quality of the information and the respondents’ level of knowledge about NGTs, our topic of interest. These indices were incorporated into a regression model to analyse their effects on the propensity to buy NGT wine alongside the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, which were categorized through cluster analysis.
Our findings suggest a reduction in Italian consumers’ distrust toward these new technologies, possibly influenced by the European institutions’ proposed regulatory revision. Additionally, the results indicate that the quality of information plays a crucial role in the decision to purchase NGT wine. This highlights the need for higher-quality information to empower consumers, helping them reach an adequate level of knowledge that would allow them to make better-informed choices.

References

  1. Beghin, J. C., & Gustafson, C. R. (2021). Consumer valuation of and attitudes towards novel foods produced with new plant engineering techniques: A review. Sustainability, 13(20), 11348. Doi: 10.3390/su132011348.
  2. Borrello, M., Cembalo, L., & Vecchio, R. (2021). Consumers’ acceptance of fungus resistant grapes: Future scenarios in sustainable winemaking. Journal of Cleaner Production, 307, 127318. Doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127318.
  3. Borrello, M., Cembalo, L., & Vecchio, R. (2021). Role of information in consumers’ preferences for eco-sustainable genetic improvements in plant breeding. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0255130. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255130.
  4. DeMaria F., Romeo Lironcurti, S., Morandi, F., Pesce, A, Gazza, L., & Nocente, F. (2024). Consumers’ response to genetically modified food: an Italian case study. GM Crops Food, Dec 31, 15(1), 303-315. Doi: 10.1080/21645698.2024.2417473.
  5. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Carrasco Cabrera, L., Di Piazza, G., Dujardin, B., & Medina Pastor, P. (2023). The 2021 European Union report on pesticide residues in food. EFSA Journal, 21(4), 7939. Doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7939.
  6. European Commission (2021). Commission staff working document. Study on the status of new genomic techniques under Union law and in light of the Court of Justice ruling in Case C-528/16. Brussels, 29.4.2021 SWD(2021) 92 final.
  7. European Commission (2021). Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed, and amending regulation (EU) 2017/625.
  8. Funk, C., & Kennedy, B. (1st December 2016a). The new food fights: U.S. public divides over food science. -- URL: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2016/12/01/the-new-food-fights/.
  9. Hwang, H., & Nam, S. J. (2020). The influence of consumers’ knowledge on their responses to genetically modified foods. GM Crops & Food, 12(1), 146-157. Doi: 10.1080/21645698.2020.1840911.
  10. Kim, J., & Fang, S. (2020). Decisions to choose genetically modified foods: how do people’s perceptions of science and scientists affect their choices?. JCOM, 19(2), A01. Doi: 10.22323/2.19020201.
  11. Lemarié, S., & Marette, S. (2022). The socio-economic factors affecting the emergence and impacts of new genomic techniques in agriculture: A scoping review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 129, 38-48. Doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.07.013.
  12. Lusk, J. L., & McCluskey (2018). Understanding the impacts of food consumer choice and food policy outcomes. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 40(1), 5-21. Doi: 10.1093/aepp/ppx054.
  13. Lusk, J. L., House, L. O., Valli, C., Jaeger, S. R., Moore, M., Morrow, J. L., & Traill, W. B. (2004). Effect of information about benefits of biotechnology on consumer acceptance of genetically modified food: evidence from experimental auctions in the United States, England, and France. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 31(2), 1 June, 179-204. Doi: 10.1093/erae/31.2.179.
  14. Lusk, J. L., Jamal, M., Kurlander, L., Roucan, M., & Taulman, L. (2005). A metaanalysis of genetically modified food valuation studies. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 30(1), 28e44, doi: 10.22004/ag.econ.30782.
  15. Marín, D. et al. (2021). Challenges of viticulture adaptation to global change: tackling the issue from the roots. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 27(1), 8-25. Doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12463.
  16. McFadden, B. R., & Lusk, J. L. (2016). What consumers don’t know about genetically modified food, and how that affects beliefs. FASEB J., Sep, 30(9), 3091-6. Doi: 10.1096/fj.201600598.
  17. Pretorius, I. S., & HØJ, P. B. (2005). Grape and wine biotechnology: Challenges, opportunities and potential benefits. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 11, 83-108. Doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0238.2005.tb00281.x.
  18. Romeo Lironcurti, S., Demaria, F., D’Annolfo, R., & Sardone R. (2024). Consumer Evaluations of and Attitudes towards New Genome Editing Techniques: An Italian Case Study. Agriculture, 14, 51. Doi: 10.3390/agriculture14010051.
  19. Sendhil, R., Nyika, J., Yadav, S., Mackolil, J., Prashat, R., Workie, E. et al. (2022). Genetically modified foods: Bibliometric analysis on consumer perception and preference. GM Crops Food, 13(1), 65-85. Doi: 10.1080/21645698.2022.2038525.
  20. Strobbe, S., Wesana, J., Van Der Straeten, D., & De Steur H. (2023). Public acceptance and stakeholder views of gene edited foods: a global overview. Trends in Biotechnology, 41(6), 736-740. Doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.011.
  21. Vecchio, R., Pomarici, E., Giampietri, E., & Borrello, M. (2022). Consumer acceptance of fungus-resistant grape wines: Evidence from Italy, the UK, and the USA. PLoS ONE, 17(4), e0267198. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267198.
  22. Voigt, B., & Münichsdorfer, A. (2019). Regulation of Genome Editing in Plant Biotechnology: European Union. In: H.-G. Dederer, & D. Hamburger (eds.), Regulation of Genome Editing in Plant Biotechnology (pp. 137-23). Cham, Switzerland: Springer, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-17119-3.
  23. Wolf, M. M., Bertolini, P., Shikama, I., & Berger, A. (2012). A comparison of attitudes toward food and biotechnology in the US, Japan, and Italy. Journal of Food Distribution Research, 43(1), 103-112.
  24. Wuepper, D., Wree, P., & Ardali, G. (2019). Does information change German consumers’ attitudes about genetically modified food?. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 46(1), 53-78. Doi: 10.1093/erae/jby018.
  25. Wunderlich, S. & Smoller, M. (2019). Consumer awareness and knowledge about food sources and possible environmental impact. International Journal of Environmental Impacts, 2(1), 85-96. Doi: 10.2495/EI-V2-N1-85-96.
  26. Wunderlich, S., & Gatto, K. A. (2015). Consumer perception of genetically modified organisms and sources of information. Advances in nutrition, 6(6), 842-851. Doi: 10.3945/an.115.008870.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...