ŠEVČÍK, M. Environmental-economic aspects of cultivation of selected genetically modified plants in European Union. Diploma thesis. Mendel University in Brno. Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, 2017. This diploma thesis deals with the topic of cultivation of selected genetically modified crops in the EU. Literature part describes population development and food production in Europe after the Industrial Revolution, while the other parts are focused on the mechanism of genetic modification of crops, the potential impacts of their cultivation, as well as the perception of this issue in the public and interest groups followed by description of the past and current state of GM crop cultivation in the EU, with particular emphasis on the legislative and institutional framework of the issue. The literature part is concluded by comparison of the environmental and economic impacts of growing MON810 maize on the territory of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, and a subchapter on the potential benefits of growing Roundup Ready Soy in the EU. The practical part of the thesis presents the results of a one-year soybean experiment with the aim of finding the optimum types and dose of fertilizers for the highest yield and nutritional value of the seed. On the basis of these results, the author of the thesis then estimates the potential of introducing genetically modified soybean - Roundup Ready variety, in EU.

In this study, two diverse scientific areas of research, namely, biological-chemical and public administration, were drawn upon to find an answer for improved risk governance of genetically modified organisms (GMO/GM) and pesticides. The need for such a study appeared from the constraints experienced with regulatory approval of GMO crops in South Africa. The knowledge gained from research on risk governance of GMOs could also be applied to pesticides. Protracted procedures causing delays in approval and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements of GMOs resulted in negative implications for research, development and commercialisation. Approval of several South African co-developed GMOs has been delayed or rejected that resulted in withdrawal or reducing of research activities, apart from appeals against decisions. The objective of the study was to identify some of the reasons for delays as experienced in risk assessments and to propose remedial actions, including the critical interface between role players in risk governance. The approach taken in this research was to obtain, by means of a questionnaire, a broad view of risk governances of GMOs as measured with criteria of good governance experienced by scientists of biotechnology and related disciplines. This was followed by another questionnaire with focus on one specific area that caused delays for GMO permit applicants. The investigation included analysis of South African legislation, guidelines and interviews. The research on risk assessment narrowed down to the two areas, illustrated by South African applicable case studies, namely, food risk/safety assessment of GMO cassava and environmental risk assessment of GMO sorghum. Approaches to improve assessments are being recommended. Uncertainty in risk assessment is an important reality because of humankind‘s limited knowledge of nature. Uncertainty is further addressed by precautious management, described as the precautionary principle is a norm legislated by the South African government in line with international agreements (the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety). The terminology, precautionary approach and principle are used interchangeably in literature. The application of the precautionary principle in South African legislation and the difficulty that could be experienced in decision making are illustrated in the case study on ‗possible unintended changes in endogenous allergens‘ in GMO maize. The research showed the importance of timely risk communication between risk assessors, risk managers (decision makers) and stakeholders in advance of the commencement of risk assessment. The importance of timely consideration of socio-economic impact of GMOs and pesticides is touched on. Risk governance structures, for both GMOs and pesticides are proposed, based on the most democratic and transparent governance models taking into consideration the European initiatives for improved risk governance. This included an interface for interaction among role players, namely, risk assessors, risk managers, scientists and stakeholders. The up-front role of an array of scientists, as the most trustworthy communicators in contentious scientific issues, is of specific importance because of the fast developing and very broad field of genetic modification of many crops. South Africa‘s national research institutes should play a much bigger role as scientific advisors in scientific risk policy making and framing for risk assessments. It is of great importance that risk assessments are focused on risks and not on the gathering of bucketsful of data; therefore, training in approaches to assessment of risk should be a priority. To achieve improvement on risk governance, the importance of policy development and the roles of all participants should be clear. Proposals for future research cover the many aspects that comprise trust in governance and the increased awareness of consumers and stakeholders of environmental risks and food safety. This study also paves a way for research on governance of phytopesticides and phytomedicines because of growing interest in these rich sources of new information that could be of great benefit to mankind. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Paraclinical Sciences / Unrestricted

Titel: Ett Färgat Köpbeteende Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Martin Myhrman & Robin Uppman Handledare: Jonas KågströmDatum: 2015 - 05 Syfte: Bakgrunden till att vi har utfört denna studie är att forskning om färgers påverkan på beslutsfattande inom ämnet marknadsföring är begränsad, tidigare forskning har även pekat på att vidare forskning borde beröra vilka faktorer som skulle kunna påverka konsumenters uppfattning om genmodifierade produkter. Således är vårt syfte:“Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur färgkodad märkning kan kompensera för den negativa uppfattningen som kan råda kring genmodifierade livsmedel.” Metod: För att besvara vårt syfte har vi valt att utföra ett experiment. Studien genomfördes på 120 respondenter på en högskola i Sverige, testpersonerna utförde ett smaktest där de tre olika betingelserna var märkta med olika färger (röd, blå och grön). Den data vi fick in analyserades sedan med hjälp av statistikprogrammet IBM SPSS Statistics 22, därefter har vi tolkat och diskuterat resultaten. Resultat & Slutsats: Vårt huvudsakliga fynd är att röd färg på negativ märkning genererar lägre betalningsvilja än grön och blå färg, vårt resultat korroborerar tidigare forskning som bland annat menar att röd färg bidrar till en aggressivare sinnesstämning och ett mer analytiskt tänkande. I övrigt har vi sett tendenser till att färgen på märkningen inte påverkat varken smakupplevelsen eller hälsouppfattning. Förslag till vidare forskning: Flertalet av våra resultat har inte uppnått statistisk signifikans, vilket troligtvis beror på att vårt urval har varit för litet, vidare forskning borde replikera vår studie på ett större urval. Utöver detta förslag till framtida forskning anser vi att följande bör undersökas:- Hur påverkar färgmärkning uppfattningen om andra GMO-produkter?- Hur blir köpbeteendet påverkat av olika färgnyanser?- Hur förhåller sig varumärke och färg till varandra i köpbeslut? Uppsatsens bidrag: Vår studie har bidragit till att branschen bör tänka på att använda färger med viss försiktighet när det kommer till märkning. Vidare har vi visat att färger påverkar kunders betalningsvilja, vilket är vårt bidrag till ämnet marknadsföring. / Title: A Colorful Consumer Behavior Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Martin Myhrman & Robin Uppman Supervisor: Jonas KågströmDate: 2015 – 05 Aim: The background of our study was grounded in the fact that the research of colors impact are limited in the field of marketing. Studies have also shown that future research should examine which factors that affect consumer’s perception of genetically modified products. The aim of our study is as follows: “The aim of this study is to examine how colored labeling might compensate for the negative perception of genetically modified products.” Method: In this study we have performed an experiment. The experiment took place at a University in Sweden and we had 120 respondent commits. The respondents were asked to perform a taste test in which the color of a label was manipulated between three test groups (red, blue and green). The collected data was analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22, further the results were interpreted and discussed. Result & Conclusions: Our main finding is that the color red on a negative label generated a lower willingness to pay than both blue and green. This result confirms previous research which among other things says that the color red trigger an aggressive mindset and encourage analytical thinking. Furthermore we have seen trends that indicate that colors do not affect the taste and health perception. Suggestions for future research: Many of our results have not been statistically significant, which probably depends on our relatively limited sample, further research should replicate our study with a wider sample. In addition to this suggestion we would like to see further research concerning:- Colors impact on the perception of other GMO products.- The impact of color shades on consumer behavior.- The relation between brands and colors in buying decisions. Contribution of the thesis: Our contribution to people working with marketing is that they should be aware that colored labels may affect the consumer perception. Furthermore we have shown that colors affect consumer’s willingness to pay, which is our contribution to the field of marketing.