Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Threat or opportunity? A stakeholder perspective on country of origin brand and promoting gene edited foods
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2025-06-16) Henderson K; Kemper J; Lang B; Conroy D; Frethey-Bentham C
    Gene editing technologies could address critical challenges in the food system by producing gene edited foods (GEFs) with enhanced nutrition and climate resilient traits. Despite this potential, support for novel GEFs from stakeholders involved in their development, commercialisation, and marketing, remains uncertain. This research investigates the role of country of origin (COO) branding in promoting GEFs as sustainable food products. Through 28 interviews with New Zealand (NZ) agri-food industry stakeholders, we identify three key themes, 1) Perceptions of GEFs and NZ’s COO brand, 2) Inconsistency and incoherency in COO, and 3) Co-creating an adapted and repositioned COO. Findings reveal that stakeholders viewed the misalignment of New Zealand’s COO brand, often associated with ‘natural’ and ‘sustainable’, as a threat (brand damage) or as an opportunity (brand repositioning). This study provides new insights into branding dynamics by uncovering responses to incoherences created by GEFs within a well-established COO brand. It also offers valuable insights for stakeholders and marketing practitioners on the use of COO branding for sustainable foods.
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    Exploring diverse food system actor perspectives on gene editing: a systematic review of socio-cultural factors influencing acceptability
    (Springer Nature B V, 2024-06) Henderson K; Lang B; Kemper J; Conroy D
    Despite the promise of new gene editing technologies (GETs) (e.g., CRISPR) in accelerating sustainable agri-food production, the social acceptability of these technologies remains unclear. Prior literature has primarily addressed the regulatory and economic issues impacting GETs ongoing acceptability, while little work has examined socio-cultural impacts despite evolving food policies and product commercialisation demanding input from various actors in the food system. Our systematic review across four databases addresses this gap by synthesising recent research on food system actors’ perspectives to identify the key socio-cultural factors influencing GET acceptability. This review extends prior literature by including views from a more diverse range of actors (e.g., farmers and NGOs) and provides a better understanding of their perceived social benefits and concerns. We find food system actors perceive positive and negative impacts of using GETs in agriculture. These perspectives are often entangled in broader debates regarding sustainability and food systems issues (e.g., social justice). We discuss practical recommendations for policymakers, agri-food industry managers, and scientists to better align gene edited foods (GEFs) with food system actors’ values. GEF policy, development, and commercialisation must reflect social values such as collective wellbeing and transparency to improve actors’ acceptability. More research is required among marginalised food actors such as Indigenous and smallholder farmers.