Influence of scientific–technical literacy on consumers’ behavioural intentions regarding new food

The application of genetic engineering to agriculture has led to an important and controversial innovation in the food sector, so-called Genetically Modified (GM) food. A great deal of literature has studied cognitive and attitudinal factors conditioning consumers’ acceptance of GM food, knowledge being one of the most inconsistent variables. Notwithstanding, some authors suggest closer attention should be paid to “science literacy”, even more so than knowledge. This paper studies the potential role of consumer literacy fields – i.e. consumer scientific–technical or social–humanistic literacy – in determining consumer choice behaviour towards GM foods. We analyse the strength of the moderating effects produced by consumer university training in some of the most important factors which influence consumers’ innovative product acceptance, such as perceived benefits and risks, attitudes to GM technology, trust in institutions or knowledge. The research is performed in southern Spain, using a variance-based technique called Structural Equation Modelling by Partial Least Squares (PLSs). The results show that perceived benefits and risks play a significant role in shaping behavioural intentions towards GM food, the attitude to GM technology being the main driver of consumers’ beliefs about risks and benefits. Additionally, behavioural intentions display some differences between the scientific–technical and social–humanistic literacy fields, the variables of trust in institutions and knowledge registering the most striking differences.

► Role of consumer literacy fields – moderating effect– in GM food acceptance is analysed.
► Partial Least Squares is more suitable for small samples than covariance methods.
► Attitude to GM technology is the main driver of consumers’ perceived risks and benefits.
► Behaviour pattern differs between scientific and social literacy groups for trust and knowledge.
► For scientific literacy group, risk perceptions lose relevance in GM food acceptance.