The paper considers slowdown practices and mechanisms for scientific and technological development by the example of GM technologies in Russia. The slowdown mechanisms for new technologies are varied and include the legacy of the protective state order of the Soviet period, the invasion of pseudoscience, denialism, neo-Luddism, gastronomic anxiety, and other trends. By the end of the 2010s, the experts denying GM technology are in the minority in Russia, and there are signs of approaching scientific consensus in favour of GM technology. However, the confrontation of actors – representatives of the government, scientists, the public and manufacturers – continues. Official bans have tightened, the area of illegal cultivation of GM crops continues to expand, and public opinion has moved to even more aggressive denial of GM technologies, similarly to anti-vaccination campaigns. The legal system regarding GM technology remains unbalanced.
genetically modified organisms (GMOs); confrontation of actors; denialism; neo-Luddism; gastronomic anxiety.