But what do they really think? Identifying consumers' values relevant to adopting biotechnologically produced foods

Much has been written about the media's importance in the formation of attitudes toward new technologies such as biotechnology. However, little has been published regarding consumer‐held values that play such an important role in forming these attitudes and which ultimately play a role in whether a product is adopted. Understanding how the product will complement, or clash, with, the publics' values is crucial in developing strategic communication plans. Developing Means‐End Chains via Laddering Theory to document users' values has been a useful research method in understanding the attributes and consequences associated with a product that may lead to acceptance by the general public. The purpose of this exploratory research was to identify the values consumers held toward foods created through biotechnological methods and the supporting attributes and consequences that supported those values. The findings indicate that, in this study, consumers felt no differently toward products developed using traditional agricultural methods versus biotechnological methods because the participants overwhelmingly relied on government agencies to ensure that their food was safe. The values identified in this study may provide a common ground for communicating about biotechnologically produced foods. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.