Why people oppose GMOs when the science says they are safe

There has been considerable public opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), with many people believing they are unsafe to eat or cause environmental harm. However, the scientific evidence says that GMOs are safe to eat and can help to make agriculture more sustainable. Why aren’t people accepting the evidence? As reported in Scientific American, intuition plays a significant role in the large discrepancy between opinion and evidence.

Research has found that:

• 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.