Agronomic and consumer considerations for Bt and conventional sweet-corn

In this farm-to-fork trial, genetically engineered (GE)Bt sweet-corn and Bt potatoes were grown side-by-side with conventional varieties in the 2000 growing season at a farm and market in Hillsburgh, Ontario, Canada. The Bt sweet-corn required no insecticides. From an economic perspective, only the first planting had pest pressure high enough to warrant the higher seed cost of the GE variety. The sweet-corn harvested throughout the trial was segregated and labeled, and direct consumer evaluation of purchasing preferences was conducted. Overall, the Bt sweet-corn outsold the conventional sweet-corn by a margin of 680 dozen (or 8,160 cobs)to 452.5 dozen (or 5,430 cobs). A limited number of intercept interviews were conducted after consumers made their purchasing decision. The majority of consumers interviewed said they were more concerned about pesticides than genetic engineering; however, taste and quality also had a strong influence on purchasing decisions.