ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the importance of understanding public responses for successful introduction of nanotechnology in the agri-food sector. Historically, innovations in food production technology have provided important benefits to society in terms of food security and quality. Societal acceptance of these innovations, and the technology underpinning these changes, has been equivocal. Many diverse applications of nanotechnology are currently emerging, ranging from those within the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, the development of new materials, personal care products, to applications in agriculture and food. The domestication of plants and animals represents an early example of ‘technology’ applied to food production, an activity initiated in prehistoric times. The ability to grow food crops, as opposed to gathering existing wild varieties from the environment, resulted in societal changes. For example, the nomadic lifestyles extant in hunter-gatherer societies evolved into static, permanent communities developed around immovable buildings and structures. Consumer food choices involve decision-making associated with nutritional requirements.
