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The effect of trust on public support for biotechnology: Evidence from the U.S. Biotechnology Study, 1997–1998
Author(s) -
James Harvey S.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
agribusiness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1520-6297
pISSN - 0742-4477
DOI - 10.1002/agr.10052
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , agribusiness , economics , selection (genetic algorithm) , agricultural biotechnology , public trust , econometrics , biology , computer science , political science , agriculture , public relations , ecology , artificial intelligence
The purpose of this article is to examine the extent to which trust directly affects public support for biotechnology, particularly in applications to food production and genetic modification of crop plants. Unlike previous research in which trust is assumed to be exogenous, this article posits that trust is endogenously determined. An econometric model is developed that controls for the endogeneiy of trust using instrumental variable and selection correction techniques. Using data from the U.S. Biotechnology Study, this study finds that the effect of trust on public support is substantially stronger than previous estimates. [JEL Codes: Q13, Q16, Q18.] © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 19: 155–168, 2003.