PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2001

In April of 2001, the Food Policy Institute sponsored a survey of 1203 randomly selected adults from across the U.S.. The results suggested that most Americans know very little about biotechnology, only 13 percent reporting they heard or read “a great deal” about it.
More than half of the respondents felt inadequately informed about biotechnology and more than two-thirds said they had never discussed the topic with anyone.
Only 41 percent were aware that genetically modified food products are currently available in supermarkets.
Half of the respondents had never heard of traditional cross-breeding methods and 61 percent said they never eaten a fruit or vegetable created this way.
Responses to a quiz indicated a general ignorance for basic concepts in genetics.
Questions about science and technology revealed that Americans tend to be uninformed about both.

Regardless of their lack of knowledge, respondents tended to believe they were well informed about science, technology, and the process of food production.
Three quarters thought they had a decent understanding of food production and two-thirds rated their knowledge of science and technology as at least “good.”