Of faith and forks: The role of religiosity and uncertainty in food technology adoption readiness

Novel food technologies, such as genetic editing, cell-cultured foods, and controlled environment agriculture, offer potential solutions to global challenges like climate change and resource scarcity, yet their success depends on consumer readiness to adopt them. This research examines how cultural uncertainty avoidance and religiosity jointly shape adoption readiness for these technologies. Two studies were conducted with participants from Japan (a high uncertainty avoidance culture; n = 1214) and Singapore (a low uncertainty avoidance culture; n = 1189). Study 1 showed that in Japan, highly religious consumers were more willing to pay for and support novel food technologies than their secular counterparts, whereas in Singapore, secular consumers expressed greater support than more religious consumers. Study 2 demonstrated that symbolic value mediates these cross-cultural patterns, revealing how consumers interpret novel food technologies through identity- and value-based meanings that vary by cultural and religious context. These findings offer theoretical insight into the sociocultural predictors of technology adoption and provide practical guidance for tailoring strategies for adoption readiness across diverse markets. • Religiosity and cultural uncertainty avoidance shape consumer readiness for novel food technologies. • Consumers in Japan and Singapore display contrasting adoption patterns based on religiosity. • Symbolic value mediates the relationship between religiosity and technological acceptance. • High religiosity groups in high uncertainty cultures show greater willingness to adopt novel foods. • Low religiosity groups in low uncertainty cultures are more receptive to novel foods.