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On the elusive nature of the public

Nature Nanotechnology volume 14, pages 510–512 (2019)Cite this article

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Discussions on agricultural nanotechnology are pervaded with conflicting accounts of public opinion. A pragmatist concept may help to explain why this is so difficult to identify.

It is widely recognized that the public plays a key role in the success or failure of nanotechnology. This is particularly pertinent in the case of agricultural nanotechnologies, which may offer tremendous public benefits by contributing to global food security. However, nanotechnologies in the field of food and agriculture are also more prone to public concerns when compared to fields such as energy, construction or computing1,2.

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  1. Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Innovation Studies Group, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

    Koen Beumer

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Beumer, K. On the elusive nature of the public. Nat. Nanotechnol. 14, 510–512 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-019-0468-0

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