Fatal attraction: the intuitive appeal of GMO opposition

• People tend to rely on intuitive reasoning to make a judgment on GMOs.
• This intuitive reasoning includes folk biology, teleological and intentional intuitions and disgust.
• Anti-GMO activists have exploited intuitions successfully to promote their cause.
• Intuitive judgments steer people away from sustainable solutions.

Public opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) remains strong. By contrast, studies demonstrate again and again that GM crops make a valuable contribution to the development of a sustainable type of agriculture. The discrepancy between public opinion and the scientific evidence requires an explanation. We argue that intuitive expectations about the world render the human mind vulnerable to particular misrepresentations of GMOs. We explain how the involvement of particular intuitions accounts for the popularity, persistence, and typical features of GM opposition and tackle possible objections to our approach. To conclude, we discuss the implications for science education, science communication, and the environmental movement.