The United Kingdom has become more negative for a number of reasons, including fallout from mad cow disease, anti-biotechnology comments made by Prince Charles, food retailer panic, and an effective network of activist groups. One of the reasons cited for this willingness is that these products require fewer chemical pesticides. Support is highest among men and people with more formal education. This is not to say that consumers don't have questions. Consumer groups have raised a number of concerns about agricultural biotechnology, particularly that it might somehow involve long-term or unexpected effects.
Environmentalists often focus on possible ecological impacts from the use of biotechnology.
While these raise important questions, they are not usually on the top of an average consumer's mind. Furthermore, consumers usually associate ethical issues with human or animal genetics, rather than with plants. Surveys indicate fairly high awareness of biotechnology in Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden. But these are exceptions. Only about one-third of Japanese consumers reported much awareness of biotechnology in 1995 or 1998.