Correction: Understanding the societal dilemma of genetically modified food consumption: a stimulus-organism-response investigation

One of our basic human needs is food since we must eat to survive. Long-standing practices include improving plants and animals for food production and utilizing various conservation methods (Chekol, 2021). According to Hansmann et al. (2020), food production and consumption impact environmental and human health. Genetically modified (GM) food has gained public attention recently due to increased consumer awareness of the need for food safety and environmental protection worldwide. The rising public interest in genetically modified food can be attributed to the need to sustain the environment while preserving our health.According to research, GM foods are environmentally friendly and aid in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, farmers use fewer resources to grow GM crops, such as fewer pesticide applications and the fuel needed to run tractors to till the land. The time fueldependent farm equipment is used decreases due to these agricultural practices. Brookes andRaul Avila-Sosa, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico Hui et al. 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1364052 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 02 frontiersin.org Barfoot (2020) report that 920 million liters less gasoline was used in 2018 due to these practices. The cumulative fuel savings from GM agriculture amount to about 12,799 liters of fuel and 34,172 million kg of carbon dioxide. According to Brookes and Barfoot (2020), this fuel savings is equivalent to removing 22.65 million cars from the road for an entire year. According to Smyth (2020), GM crops have significantly helped achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goals 1 and 2 (reducing hunger). GM crops can resist insects, tolerate drought and flooding, and slow climate change. While higher household incomes have reduced poverty as a result of higher household yields, higher yields have also improved food security for households (Smyth, 2020).According to reports, biofortified, including GM, foods include more minerals and vitamins than traditionally farmed foods (Bawa and Anilakumar, 2013;Hefferon, 2015;Smyth, 2020) although exposure studies did not yet address the upper limit issue (EFSA, 2024), and a reduced amount of used chemicals then potentially less harmful to human health and the environment. " Despite these greater benefits of GMO foods, some concerns have been raised that GM foods can cause harm to the human body. Thus, consuming these meals is thought to increase the risk of developing antibiotics-resistant illnesses (Bawa and Anilakumar, 2013). Chekol (2021) opined that GM food's potential health consequences are toxicity, allergenicity, and genetic hazards. Bawa and Anilakumar (2013) again added that since GM foods are relatively new, nothing is known about how they will affect people in the long run. Customers could be wary of its usage because the health repercussions are unknown. Despite this, there is no proof consuming food that has been genetically modified is harmful (The Royal Society, 2016;National Academies, 2022).Knowledge of consumer behavior surrounding the consumption of GM food will have significance for researchers and business managers to create better judgments and policies as GM awareness and the market grow fast. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend customer views and behavioral intentions about GM food. Additionally, according to Grimmer and Miles (2017), customer attitudes and understanding of environmental issues may impact their decision to buy food. To achieve this, people concerned about the environment and their health will favor products that promote both.Given that research on consumer behavior of genetically modified food has received less research attention and the public debate associated with GMO food, this study utilized the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) paradigm as a theoretical framework to investigate Ghanaian and Chinese consumers' motivations for GM food from the health and environmental context. Because there is a dearth of information on this topic and China and Ghana are at various phases of producing genetically modified foods, the researchers chose to conduct a cross-over study in these two nations. Examples of GM food in China are sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, cowpeas, and rice. Tao and Shudong (2003) report that China was the first country to grow GM crops commercially, starting with virus-resistant tobacco plants in 1988. LI (2012) ) added that the Chinese government actively encourages biotechnology in food and agriculture to address the country's serious food security problems. Ghana introduced the Biosafety Act to introduce GMOs legally and ultimately allow farmers to use GM foods in crop production (Borgen Magazine, 2018). The government also imports some GM foods. Again, both countries are at different stages of genetically modified food production. China is regarded as the pioneer in genetically modified food as they were the first country to plant GM crops commercially, whereas Ghana is relatively new to GM production.The S-O-R framework (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974) is widely used by researchers and scholars to analyze human behavior. Three stages make up this process: stimuli, organism, and response. According to Eroglu et al. (2003), the stimulus refers to social contexts or environmental cues that may elicit or stimulate a person's psychological or behavioral responses or changes. This study examines GM foods, which are frequently viewed as dangerous and unhealthy by some consumers (Jurkiewicz et al., 2014;Wunderlich and Gatto, 2015;National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). As a result, customers will be wary about eating GMO food. The current study uses environmental consciousness in addition to health consciousness to measure stimuli.According to Jurkiewicz et al. (2014), the organism is the internal decision-making process that occurs between a stimulus and a reaction. Prior experiences, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, predispositions, intentions, values, cognitive networks, schema, scripts, motives, the person's personality, and feelings were all described by Jacoby (2002) as belonging to the organism component. It is claimed that internal processes that mediate the impact of the stimulus on the reaction are responsible for both the perceived advantages and disadvantages of consuming GM food. Response describes the intentions, choices, or behavioral modifications from the stimuli and "organism" elements. In the context of this research, a response is defined as the consumption likelihood of GMO food by Chinese and Ghanaian consumers. Consequently, the consumption likelihood of GMO food is proposed as a response.Health consciousness of GMO food consumption Kar and Somani (2019) define consciousness as the experience of realizing and comprehending something. According to Pu et al. (2020), such a thing is more akin to human ideas, feelings, and memories. It can also develop and transmit relevant information and alter continuously in response to human requirements, allowing us to act independently (Marchetti, 2018). The measure of a person's readiness to take proactive steps to safeguard their health and identify with it is called health consciousness. According to Becker et al. (1977), it's the degree to which a person is likely to engage in healthy behaviors. Research has indicated that health-conscious customers exhibit a great deal of worry about their overall health (Kraft and Goodell, 1993;Newsom et al., 2005;Chen and Lin, 2018). The researchers claim that these customers strongly desire to engage in healthy activities to preserve or enhance their health and quality of life and stave off illness. In the context of this research, health consciousness is a consumer's behavior and attitude toward consuming genetically modified foods.The notion of self-consciousness holds that self-awareness can predict attitude and behavior consistency, including health consciousness and health-related behaviors (Gould, 1990). Healthconsciousness and health-promoting behaviors are consistent. Health-conscious individuals typically have a better understanding of health, are aware of personal health issues, and take proactive steps to maintain their health (Piko and Keresztes, 2006). Genes from other plants or animals have been used to alter the DNA of GM foods, making them different from non-G and/or organic food. People may be concerned about how eating certain foods could affect their health because of the alleged negative consequences of food produced using synthetic and chemical methods that are common in contemporary agriculture practices (Qasim et al., 2019;Ranjbar Shamsi et al., 2020). Nonetheless, it is well known that genetically modified foods are more nutrientdense, have a more excellent supply of food at a lower cost and longer shelf life, grow faster in both plants and animals and are resistant to disease and drought, requiring less water and fertilizer from the environment (Raman, 2020;Barrell, 2022). Despite the advantages of genetically modified food, studies have revealed that consumers thought it would be somewhat harmful to their health (Oselinsky et al., 2021).The impact of GM food on human health has been studied and discussed in public; however, the results seem to be mixed. According to studies from the World Health Organization (2014), genetically modified foods sold internationally have passed safety evaluations and are not anticipated to pose a risk to public health. Furthermore, the general public's intake of these foods has not been linked to any adverse health impacts in the nations where they have been authorized. They further opined there had been no evidence of allergic reactions to GM foods sold in stores. Nonetheless, according to the Food and Drug Administration (2022), several allergens can be present in GM foods, including some proteins found in milk, eggs, wheat, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, and shellfish.Thus, this study anticipates that consumers' perceptions of the benefits and risks of eating genetically modified food will be significantly influenced by their level of health consciousness. Consequently, we suggest that: H1a: Health consciousness has a significant effect on the perceived benefits of GM foods.H1b: Health consciousness has a significant effect on the perceived risks of GM foods.Environmental issues have drawn much attention from researchers and other stakeholders over the past decades (Wang et al., 2020). Schlegelmilch et al. (1996) describe environmental consciousness as a driving force stemming from an individual's knowledge of the adverse environmental effects of people's irresponsible behavior (which includes businesses, goods, or brands). Mishal et al. (2017) see the concept as psychological factors determining consumers' propensity toward pro-environmental behaviors. Consumers who prioritize the environment over other considerations act morally and think about how their daily purchases may affect the environment and the community in which they live (Pino et al., 2012). Environmental consciousness in this study refers to how worried consumers are about environmental issues associated with their purchase.According to Kwak et al. (2020), consumers and researchers hold mixed views of the environmental impact of genetically modified foods. They went on to say that the European Union mandates buffer zones and isolation distances in the production of GM and non-GM crops out of concern that gene flow could happen between related crops. According to some studies, genetically modified foods have adverse effects on the environment, including soil erosion and depletion, the transgenic nature of GM crops, cross-pollination, and van Acker et al. ( 2007) and Mathur et. al. (2017). However, other studies contend that GM food may provide an environmentally sustainable source by reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources (Qaim, 2009;Godfray et al., 2010). Research has additionally demonstrated that genetically modified crops may lower greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by eliminating the requirement for plowing when crops are planted (Maghari and Ardekani, 2011;Barrows et al., 2014). According to van Acker et al. (2007), these crops also make no-till and conservation tillage techniques easier to implement, which lower soil erosion and preserve soil moisture. Research on green consumer behavior has demonstrated that consumer behavioral intentions are positively impacted by environmental concerns (Sinnappan and Rahman, 2011;Wahid et al., 2011;Huang et al., 2014). Drawing from this, we expect that environmental consciousness will affect consumers' perceived risks and benefits of consuming GMO food. Consequently, we suggest: H2a: Environmental consciousness has a significant effect on perceived risk of GM foods.H2b: Environmental consciousness has a significant effect on perceived benefits of GM foods.Every purchase decision a consumer makes exposes them to risk in the quest for varied advantages (Kim et al., 2008). Beliefs in the favorable consequences of actions taken in reaction to an actual or perceived threat are commonly referred to as perceived benefits. (2013) perceived benefits as a of a by a perceived risk is regarded as about the of a purchase According to (2020), perceived risk actions or while et al. 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