CHANGING CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

University students took part in an experimental auction designed to elicit and estimate the influence of information bias on consumer willingness to pay for GM versus non-GM food products. Surveys before and after the auction queried participants on their perceptions about GM foods and the associated risks, and their beliefs and attitudes about the interaction between farming practices and the environment. Students received either positive- or negative-biased information about the impact of biotechnology on the environment during the auction. Consumer perceptions were influenced by information bias.