Agricultural Biotechnology and Public Perceptions

In a paper entitled "Agricultural Biotechnology and Public Perceptions by Jerry Caulder which was published in AgbioForum 1 (1) 1998:38-39, the author states that much of the problem with accepting biotechnology in agriculture stems from an attitude which has come about due to the abundance of supply in the developed countries like the U.S.. This supply is viewed by people as a surplus while an over supply of other products eg. oil is deemed to be a reserve.

This attitude in part is the result of the failure to communicate with the general public on the benefits of improvement of nutrition and food safety. Another part of the problem is with respect to the reporting of safety issues. There are numerous reports and a lot of media coverage when someone dies from food poisoning, but there is little said when millions are prevented from getting it.

The problem with reporting such safety issues related to agricultural biotechnology is the fact that most of these reports are based on "Junk Science" which has gone unchallenged. This is evident when food labeling is considered. Much of the problem in labeling is in the accuracy of the ingredients which is presented in a prejudicial manner.

Presently there are some 8,000 food products which are derived from soybeans, some of which are derived from soybeans which have been genetically modified and others which were not. If a product is manufactured using both modified and un-modified soybeans, should they be labeled differently? What about the milk from cows which are fed attrozine treated corn ?

The author points out that much of the public's reaction to genetically modified foods is based on the manner in which materials are presented or the manner in which opinions are asked. The example given to illustrate the point was asking the following questions:

1. We have learned how to use genetics in order to produce a tastier fruit with longer shelf life. Would you be interested? In this instance the response would likely be "yes". If however the question were phrased as follows:

2. We have learned how to manipulate plant genomes and we have transposed a gene to make the fruit tastier and longer lasting. Would you buy it? The answer in this case would most likely be "no".

If there is going to be something positive coming out of this situation, there must be accurate and uniform labeling of all products based on "true science" which is Independently verified , through reporting positive and negative test results equally, and through education of the public and those who work in agriculture.

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