PUBLIC PERCEPTION TOWARDS GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS IN TANZANIA - T. E.Mnaranara; J. Zhang; G. Wang (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2017)
Genetically Modified (GM) foods have generated wide interest and debate, mostly in developed nations and developing countries with fairly sufficient food supplies. There is, however, limited information on the view of the public in nations facing challenges of food shortage. To add to insights on how GM foods are viewed globally, this study investigates the public’s perception of GM foods in Tanzania through a survey (N=287). Results show a fairly reasonable level of awareness of GMOs(crops, foods) in Tanzania (49.1%),awareness varies across occupational groups, with regulatory authorities having the highest level of awareness (88.9%), followed by academicians (62.7%), media (60.0%), and farmers (24.0%). Academicians and regulatory authorities consistently have stronger positive perceptions of GM foods, whereas farmers and media, in general, tend to express more concerns over the risks and ethical issues of GM foods. Findings suggest benefit perceptions of GM foods might be a pre-condition for supporting GM foods, whereas risk perceptions might influence the development of GM foods by stressing the need for continuous scientific research to address concerns over risks. Understanding this is important for policy makers and development organizations in shaping the future ofagricultural biotechnology.
Keywords: journal article; Genetically modified foods; Perception; Awareness; Occupation; Tanzania