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Elements of public trust in the American food system: Experts, organizations, and genetically modified food

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  • Lang, John T.

Abstract

The increasing scientific and technical complexity in the American system of food production, exemplified in this article by genetically modified food (GMF), provides a useful case with which to understand public trust in experts and organizations involved in an emerging technology. Stating that the public will judge claims about GMF based on trust in their sources brings about the question of how the public decides to trust particular sources. I use data from a mail survey to evaluate the elements of trust for a range of groups connected to the U.S. food industry. The results point to organizationally variable and dependent perceptions of trust rather than a stable set of elements, suggesting that scholars might focus productively on the ways elements of trust are distributed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lang, John T., 2013. "Elements of public trust in the American food system: Experts, organizations, and genetically modified food," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 145-154.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:41:y:2013:i:c:p:145-154
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.05.008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Lynn J. Frewer, 2017. "Consumer acceptance and rejection of emerging agrifood technologies and their applications," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 44(4), pages 683-704.
    3. Carlo Russo & Mariarosaria Simeone & Maria Angela Perito, 2020. "Educated Millennials and Credence Attributes of Food Products with Genetically Modified Organisms: Knowledge, Trust and Social Media," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Jacqueline CK Lam & Victor OK Li & David M. Reiner & Yang Han & Shan Shan Wang, 2018. "Trust in Government and Effective Nuclear Safety Governance in Great Britain," Working Papers EPRG 1811, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    5. Leland L. Glenna, 2017. "AFHVS 2017 presidential address," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(4), pages 1021-1031, December.
    6. Hobbs, Jill E. & Goddard, Ellen, 2015. "Consumers and trust," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 71-74.
    7. Richer, Eric & Powers-Barker, Patrice & Welker, Melissa & Stechschulte, Jil & Stone, Amy, 2017. "Pr - Educational Farm Tour Increases Consumer Confidence In Modern Food Production," 21st Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 2-7, 2017 345803, International Farm Management Association.

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