Social Acceptability of Cisgenic Plants: Public Perception, Consumer Preferences, and Legal Regulation

Abstract

Part of the rationale behind the introduction of the term cisgenesis was the expectation that due to the “more natural” character of the genetic modification, cisgenic plants would be socially more acceptable than transgenic ones. This chapter assesses whether this expectation was justified. It thereby addresses three arenas of social acceptability: public perception, consumer preferences, and legal regulation. Discussing and comparing recent studies from four geographical areas across the globe—Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia and New Zealand—the chapter shows that the expectation was justified, and that cisgenic plants are treated as being more acceptable than other forms of genetic modification. Yet, there are considerable differences across the three arenas of social acceptability. In Australia, Canada, and the United States of America, the legal regulation of cisgenic plants is less restrictive than in Europe, Japan, and New Zealand. Also, the public perceptions are rather diverse across these countries, as are the factors that are deemed most influential in informing public opinion and consumer decisions. While people in North America appear to be most interested in individual benefits of the products (improved quality, health aspects), Europeans are more likely to accept cisgenic plants and derived products if they have a proven environmental benefit. In New Zealand, in contrast, the potential impact of cisgenic plants on other, more or less related markets, like meat export and tourism, is heavily debated. We conclude with some remarks about a possible new arrangement between science and policy that may come about with a new, or homogenized, international regulatory regime.

The moderating role of perceived health risks on the acceptance of genetically modified food

“…The findings above reaffirmed the Czech Republic’s consistent positive public perception of genetically modified food (GMF) over time, aligning it with countries like Spain, Portugal, and Malta (refer to Daye et al ( 60 ). In the Czech Republic, there was a notable willingness to taste GMF, with 62% of respondents expressing their readiness to do so.…”

“…Hence, it is cautiously suggested that the results presented in this paper may be applicable to other European countries with similarly favorable perceptions of GMF, specifically Spain, Portugal, and Malta. However, the applicability of the findings is contingent upon the type of genetic modification, as public perception proved to be highly sensitive to this factor ( 60 ).…”

Mathematical kinetic modelling followed by in vitro and in vivo assays reveal the bifunctional rice GTPCHII/DHBPS enzymes and demonstrate the key roles of OsRibA proteins in the vitamin B2 pathway

“…Recently, the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) conducted a hazard comparison between plants produced through cisgenesis, conventional plant breeding techniques, and transgenesis concluding that the hazards of cisgenic and conventionally bred plants are identical [ 93 ]. Therefore, and given the increasing public acceptance of cisgenic approaches [ 43 ], it would be interesting to develop a strategy requiring a small number of cisgenes to accumulate significant amounts of target micronutrients.…”

“…Biofortification of riboflavin in rice has been previously performed by overexpressing six out of the seven genes that constitute the yeast biosynthetic pathway [ 12 ]. However, recent trends in biofortification suggest a shift towards the overexpression of endogenous genes, reflecting public consumer preferences [ 42 , 43 ]. In addition, a reliable understanding of endogenous riboflavin metabolism allows for more precise metabolic engineering and thus further opportunities for engineering approaches.…”

Intragenic Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer mimics micro-translocations without foreign DNA

“…S2 ) was highly effective for Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of N. tabacum and allowed the recovery of at least one transformed shoot per five explants. This approach enables gene transfer without the introduction of foreign DNA and is widely considered as being more acceptable than other forms of genetic modification (Dayé et al 2023 ).…”