South African Consumer Attitudes Towards Plant Breeding Innovation

Mohammed Naweed Mohamed (), Magdeleen Cilliers, Jhill Johns and Jan-Hendrik Groenewald
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Mohammed Naweed Mohamed: Biosafety South Africa and Technology Innovation Agency, 10 Old Warehouse, Black River Business Park, 1 Fir Street, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Magdeleen Cilliers: South African National Seed Organization, 352 Kiepersol Road, Pretoria 0081, South Africa
Jhill Johns: Biosafety South Africa and Technology Innovation Agency, 10 Old Warehouse, Black River Business Park, 1 Fir Street, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Jan-Hendrik Groenewald: Biosafety South Africa and Technology Innovation Agency, 10 Old Warehouse, Black River Business Park, 1 Fir Street, Cape Town 7925, South Africa

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-19

Abstract: South Africa’s bioeconomy strategy identifies bio-innovation as a key driver of economic growth and social development, with plant breeding playing a central role in improving food security through the development of high-yielding, resilient, and high-quality crops. However, consumer perceptions of recent advances, particularly new breeding techniques (NBTs), remain underexplored. This study examines South African consumer attitudes towards plant breeding innovations, using a mixed-methods approach. The initial focus group interviews informed the development of a structured quantitative survey examining familiarity, perceptions, and acceptance of plant breeding technologies. Consumer awareness of plant breeding principles was found to be limited, with 67–68% of respondents unfamiliar with both conventional and modern plant breeding procedures. Despite this information gap, consumers expressed conditional support for modern breeding techniques, especially when associated with actual benefits like increased nutritional value, environmental sustainability, and crop resilience. When favourable effects were outlined, support for general investment in modern breeding practices climbed from 45% to 74%. Consumer purchase decisions emphasised price, product quality, and convenience over manufacturing techniques, with sustainability ranked last among the assessed factors. Trust in the sources of food safety information varied greatly, with medical experts and scientists being ranked highly, while government sources were viewed more sceptically. The results further suggest that targeted education could improve customer confidence, as there is a significant positive association (R 2 = 0.938) between familiarity and acceptance. These findings emphasise the significance of open communication strategies and focused consumer education in increasing the adoption of plant breeding breakthroughs. The study offers useful insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders working on engagement strategies to facilitate the ethical growth and application of agricultural biotechnology in support of food security and quality in South Africa. This study contributes to a better understanding of South African consumers’ perceptions of plant breeding innovations and food safety. The research findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders in developing effective engagement and communication strategies that address consumer concerns and promote the adoption of products derived from diverse plant breeding technologies.

Keywords: plant breeding; new breeding techniques (NBTs); consumer perception; South Africa; food security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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