WHOM DO YOU TRUST? THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE, GENDER AND GEOGRAPHY ON CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF GMO-LABELED PRODUCTS Tracy Irani 1 , Janas Sinclair 2 , Michelle O’Malley 3 1 Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural Education and Communication University of Florida 213 Rolfs Hall Gainesville, FL 32611 Phone: 352-392-0502 ext. 225 Fax: 352-392-9585 irani@ufl.edu 2 Assistant Professor Department of Advertising & Public Relations School of Journalism & Mass Communication Florida International University North Miami, FL 33181 Phone: 305-919-5259 Fax: 305-919-5215 sinclair@fiu.edu 3 Assistant Professor A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Kansas State University Kedzie Hall, Room 105 Manhattan, KS 66506-1500 Phone: 785-532-6890 Fax: 785-532-5484 omalley@ksu.edu Abstract This study was designed to describe and determine the effect of demographic variables, including gender, ethnic background and urban/rural geographic location, on consumers' trust and acceptance of agricultural biotechnology. To conduct the study, a sample population was drawn from three geographically and ethnically diverse locations and a survey questionnaire was administered in an attempt to measure respondents’ attitudes, perceptions and intent to purchase GMO labeled products. Results indicated that although most of the subjects surveyed for this study thought GMO food items should be labeled, more than half of the sample indicated they would consider purchasing foods labeled as GMOs. Whether or not subjects would consider purchasing GMOs, however, depended on their ethnic background, gender, and geographic location. Males and non-Hispanic whites were most likely to consider buying GMOs and more than half of the Hispanics would also consider buying GMOs. Most non-Hispanic blacks, however, reported they would not consider buying GMOs.