RK
r. karina gallardo
Washington State University
Pullman, United States
About this Research Topic
Manuscript Submission Deadline 18 December 2026
This Research Topic is currently accepting articles
Background
Recent advances in food policy and economics have underscored the accelerating pace of innovation in food technologies, such as the adoption of biotechnology. As these technologies promise transformative benefits for sustainability and global food security, their successful adoption hinges on multiple interconnected factors, foremost among them regulatory frameworks, economic incentives, and consumer perceptions related to health, benefits, and the evolving landscape of food labelling and claims. Despite this progress, critical knowledge gaps remain regarding how policy and market environments shape not only the development and accessibility of these novel foods, but also their acceptance and impacts on public health and environmental sustainability. These gaps are especially important as food innovations move from research settings into commercial markets, where public trust, affordability, and regulatory consistency can shape real-world adoption. The interplay between government regulation, industry responses, consumer understanding, and the equitable distribution of benefits from food system innovation is now at the centre of scholarly and policy debate, with ongoing research seeking to clarify best practices and anticipate future challenges.
Current evidence indicates that effective information environments, embodied in transparent labelling, credible health and sustainability claims, and regulatory clarity, are decisive in influencing consumer behaviour. However, uncertainty remains regarding the economic implications of new technologies and policies, particularly in relation to cost-effectiveness, support for vulnerable populations, and the potential for unintended consequences such as avoidance behaviour. Recent studies highlight the global diversity in regulatory pathways, the complexity of integrating climate and circular economy policies, and the multifaceted relationship between label claims, willingness to pay, and observed market dynamics. Yet more evidence is needed on how these relationships differ across policy settings, market structures, and consumer groups. As governments and industry stakeholders navigate these domains, rigorous evidence is needed to inform policies that not only foster innovation, but also advance health, sustainability, and equity objectives across contexts.
This Research Topic aims to build a robust evidence base that connects food technologies and labelling interventions to meaningful outcomes in food policy and economics. The goal is to clarify the policy choices and economic mechanisms, including regulation, pricing strategies, procurement, and labelling requirements, that most effectively support innovation in the food sector, while protecting public health and advancing environmental sustainability. We welcome studies using primary data, experiments, observational or secondary data, policy analysis, and review-based approaches. Key questions include: How do regulatory and governance frameworks affect the pace and equity of biotechnology adoption in food systems? What is the relationship between economic accessibility and consumer acceptance? How do labelling of and claims about new technologies influence market outcomes and trust? Critically, what are the distributional effects of these innovations for nutrition security and health equity? Together, these questions aim to advance evidence on how food innovation can be governed, communicated, and evaluated in ways that are economically feasible, socially acceptable, and policy relevant.
To gather further insights in the global and policy-focused context of food innovation, this Research Topic will include, but not be limited to, contributions addressing the following themes:
o Economics of innovation, scale-up, and market entry of novel food technologies
o Consumer acceptance, willingness to pay, and market responses to food technologies and related labelling interventions
o Food labelling, claims, and information environments as tools for transparency, trust, and informed choice regarding new technologies and products
o Sustainability, circular economy, and environmental implications of biotechnology-based food innovation
o Regulatory, governance, and institutional frameworks for novel food technologies
o Economic accessibility, affordability, and distributional implications of food innovation
o Household technology adoption, food-related infrastructure, and nutrition transitions
o Policy evaluation and evidence-based strategies for supporting responsible food technology adoption
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Case Report
- Classification
- Clinical Trial
- Community Case Study
- Conceptual Analysis
- Data Report
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Food biotechnology, Food labelling and claims, Consumer acceptance, Food policy and economics, Sustainability and circular economy, Health equity, Regulatory governance
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
