A systematic review on public perceptions of RNAi-based biopesticides: Developing Social Licence to Operate
Agriculture is fundamental to ensuring humanity’s food and fibre security. Synthetic pesticides pose challenges due to resistance, emissions, toxicity, and harm to beneficial organisms. A novel approach involves RNA-based biopesticides, eliciting an RNA interference (RNAi) response via topical appli...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00057-1 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/97422 |
| Summary: | Agriculture is fundamental to ensuring humanity’s food and fibre security. Synthetic pesticides pose
challenges due to resistance, emissions, toxicity, and harm to beneficial organisms. A novel approach
involves RNA-based biopesticides, eliciting an RNA interference (RNAi) response via topical
application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), avoiding genetic modification. However, potential
issues surrounding RNAi, including policy controversies and regulatory gaps, may affect public
perception and acceptance of topical RNAi, impacting the acquisition of a social licence to operate
(SLO). This qualitative systematic literature review examines public perceptions of RNAi-based
biopesticides, the associated policy considerations and their implications for developing an SLO. The
results show that factors influencing public perceptions and SLO emphasise human and
environmental safety and costs, including also off-target impacts, degradability, protection window,
resistance, toxicity, and ethical and cultural considerations. Finally, we discuss strategies from social
science literature for RNAi-biopesticides to achieve an SLO towards sustainability, enhancing food
safety and productivity. |
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