Predicting Consumer Intentions to Purchase Genetically Modified Food: An Empirical Evidence From a Developing Nation

1. Introduction

See Table 1 for abbreviations throughout this paper.

DNA manipulation has been a viable possibility as the task of unearthing the double-helical model of DNA was accomplished by Watson and Crick in the year 1953. This made the introduction of new traits and modification of existing traits in an organism possible. Genetically modified food or GM food has become realizable due to genetic engineering. This encapsulates introduction of a genome or genes from a plant of a different species and even from a bacterium, virus or an animal to create an entirely different species of plant or food crop (Venkat, 2016). Genetically modified organisms or GMOs comprises of plants, animals or micro-organisms whose inherent genetic code (DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid) has been altered or modified by developing traits which previously were non-existent and cannot occur naturally by breeding or by natural combination (James, 2015). Here, the specific genes are transferred within organisms and between organisms even if they belong to non-related species. The food thus obtained by using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is referred to as Genetically Modified Food (World Health Organization, 2014). Two decades after the initiation of GM food production, a vast dominant part of the zone planted to GM yields still stays in only a couple of nations. The United States is the leading consumer of Genetically Modified crops is yet the biggest cultivator with 73.1 million hectares of area under GM crop cultivation as of 2018. Brazil is at second spot with 51.3 million hectares and Argentina third at 23.9 million hectares. Collectively these three countries account for more than three-fourths of GM crops worldwide (James, 2015). Canada and India cultivate around 12.7 million hectares and 11.6 million hectares respectively. Together, top ten nations represent more than 98% of the worldwide GM hectares (James, 2015). India bags the fifth spot with a total production of 10.8 million hectares and the USA still holds the top position by planting 72.9 million hectares (ISAAA, 2016). The production of GM crops reached tremendous heights in the year 2016 by surpassing all the prohibitions on BT-Brinjal levied in the year 2010 (ISAAA, 2016). Despite the slow growth of the global cotton market, India is the highest producer of cotton globally with the total production exceeding 35 million bales (ISAAA, 2016). The major innovations in the field of crop biotechnology have been instrumental in increasing the food production and in this way, have catered to the needs of the increasing worldwide population in developing nations, as well as met the propitious rules and regulations (ISAAA,2016).