Andrew J. Cook

Intentions of New Zealanders to purchase lamb or beef made using nanotechnology

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an early assessment of key influences on intentions to purchase low fat lamb or beef made using nanotechnology.Design/methodology/approach – Data was gathered using a national postal survey of New Zealanders (N=565).Findings – The new product was more acceptable than GM food. Most had a positive attitude and intention to purchase and were the type of person who would purchase (self‐identity). Most considered they had the support of people whose views are important to them (subjective norm) and few felt an impediment to purchasing (perceived behavioural control). Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and self‐identity explained a good deal of intention (R2=0.64). There was also a strong link between a sum of beliefs about the risks and benefits of the new product and attitude (r=0.79).Research limitations/implications – Differences between the sample and the population could marginally affect projections of the descriptive results onto the population....

Attitudes and intentions to support biopharming

This study measures public intentions in New Zealand to support the biopharming of plants and animals. A model is developed of intentions to support biopharming in a referendum using attitudes, social pressure and self-identity as determinants of intention. Data were collected using a national postal survey (N = 565). Key findings were that self-identity, attitude and perceived social pressure were significant in determining intention and beliefs about biopharming were strongly linked to attitude. Changes in intention given the nature of its determinants are discussed. These changes hinge upon changes in positive and negative beliefs about biopharming that are shown to affect attitude and subsequently upon the intention to support biopharming.