Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** we are at an important crossroads…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** we are at an important crossroads as new methods, such as gene drives, are making their way out of the lab and into the field. What shapes public trust and stakeholder attitudes towards acceptance or rejection of agricultural gene drives is vital to grasp to develop responsible governance, effective communications and public engagement. Yet our understanding of stakeholders' policy preferences, acceptance of gene drives, and trust in regulatory agencies to manage risks towards agricultural gene drive applications is limited. Understanding what policies and factors would build trust in risk assessments, and the subsequent policies/authority of agencies to assess and manage those impacts, is crucial. Using a multifaceted approach of a multi-disciplinary external advisory group, stakeholder workshops, public and farmer surveys, and Q method, this study: (1) emphasizes understanding of policy preferences across a wide range of policy domains, rather than a narrow range of policies (e.g., BAN versus allow) or benefit/risk perceptions, and (2) includes a wide range of stakeholders (including both conventional and organic farmers) to ensure diverse perspectives and open deliberation, while not assuming that, e.g., conventional farmers will all exhibit the same viewpoint on gene drive policies, and (3) uses surveys of both citizens and diverse farmer types to both understand factors in gene drive policy preferences, and in trust in USDA and usepa policy formulation and implementation. The study will provide recommendations for development of policies designed to address public and stakeholder concerns and hopes regarding impacts of agricultural gene drive applications.