the politics of gmos: sound science vs. sound bites
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The Politics of GMOs: Sound Science vs. Sound Bites. Canola Council of Canada Puerto Vallarta, Mexico March 23, 2004. Fairchild’s mule. Resistance to new technology is not new. Thomas Fairchild. 1906. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
www.whybiotech.com
The Politics of GMOs:Sound Science vs. Sound Bites
Canola Council of CanadaPuerto Vallarta, Mexico
March 23, 2004
2
Thomas Fairchild Fairchild’s mule
Resistance to new technology is not new
3
“We have recently advanced our knowledge of genetics to a point where we can manipulate life in a way never intended by nature. We must proceed with the utmost caution in the application of this new-found knowledge.”
— Luther Burbank
Resistance to new technology is not new
1906
4
Resistance to new food is not newCoffee was outlawed or restricted in Mecca, Cairo, Istanbul, England, Germany and Sweden
“The body becomes a mere shadow of its former self; it goes into a decline and dwindles away. The heart and guts are so weakened that the drinker suffers delusions, and the body receives such a shock that it is though it were bewitched.”
— French doctors1674
5
Resistance to new food is not new
• Potatoes were believed to cause a variety of diseases, including leprosy, fever, tuberculosis and rickets
• Tomatoes were considered poisonous in the U.S. until 1830
• Colonel Gibbon Johnson ate a “wolf peach” on courthouse steps in New Jersey
• A crowd of 2,000 gathered to witness a suicide
6
Drumbeat of negative press
Frankenfoods
Monarch butterfly
StarLink corn and tacos
Mad cow disease
7
CBI vision
Improve people’s understanding and acceptance in order to create a marketplace that allows the world to benefit from the products of agricultural and food biotechnology
8
The reach
Mexico
United States
Canada
9
Global affiliates
Africa
Argentina
Australia/New Zealand
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Europe
India/ Southeast Asia
Japan
Korea
10
Sound science vs. sound bites
“Demagoguery beats data in making public policy.”
— Rep. Dick Armey
Former U.S. House Majority Leader
“Facts are stubborn things.”
— John Adams2nd president of the
United States
11
Documenting Adoption
12
0
73
0
44.2
54
81
11.9
28.134
25 26
33.9
4.4
40
0
43
16.8
25.5
71
69
61
74.4 75
68
55.8
17
7.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Corn Cotton Soybean
Source: USDA, NASS
Per
cent
age
• Canola: 68%
• Corn: 58%
• Soybean: 48%
Biotech crops gain ground with U.S., Canadian farmers
13
27.2
68.7
109.2
145
130
98.6
4.2
167.3
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Total Industrial Developing
Global biotech acreage: Double-digit growth for seventh straight year
Source: ISAAA
Acr
es
14
7 million farmers in 18 countries
16
Documenting the Benefits
19
Economic benefits in the United States
Adoption of six biotech crops has:• Increased annual
production by 4 billion pounds
• Improved farmer income by $1.5 billion
• Reduced pesticide spraying by 46 million pounds
— National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy
20
Potential economic benefits in the United States
Adoption of 32 additional cultivars could:• Increase annual production
by 10 billion pounds– Total: 14 billion pounds
• Reduce annual farmer costs by $1 billion
– Total: $2.5 billion
• Reduce annual spraying by 117 million pounds
– Total: 163 million pounds— National Center for Food
and Agricultural Policy
21
• No-till acres increased 35 percent to 55 million acres since biotech crops introduced
• Reduces soil erosion 1 billion tons per year• Saves $3.5 billion in water treatment and
waterway maintenance• Saves farmers 309 million gallons of fuel
per year• Improves wildlife habitat
— Conservation Technology Information Center
Environmental benefits: Sparing the plow
22
Environmental benefits: A smorgasbord
• Prevent soil erosion by increasing no-till farming practices
• Improve water quality through the use of more benign herbicides
• Improve air quality through no-till farming that reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• Increase biodiversity through more no-till farming• More beneficial insects, more habitat for birds and other wildlife
— Council of Agricultural Science and Technology
24
Perception vs. Reality
What do people really think about biotech?
25
I know biotechnology exists.I know biotechnology exists.
Awareness Agreement Acceptance
I know at least something about biotechnology.
I know at least something about biotechnology.
I believe biotechnology has important benefits and that the risks are low.
I believe biotechnology has important benefits and that the risks are low.
I accept and support the technology and would be comfortable buying and eating the food.
I accept and support the technology and would be comfortable buying and eating the food.
How research tracks progress
T I M ET I M E
26
Overall support steady: Out of sight, out of mind
75%
61%
70%72% 71%
65%
60%
41%
48%
59%
54%50%
48%
30%
47%44% 43%
73%
61%60%58%
49%51%
Mar '00 May '00 July '00 Aug '00 Sept '00 Nov '00 Mar '01 Aug '01 Nov '01 Mar '02 July '02 Nov '02 June '03
Percent support
* The words “and wheat” were added to the question in March 2002
Monarch followed by StarLink
Would you say you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose … using biotechnology to develop new varieties of crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat or are you neutral?*
Opinion leaders
General public
Gatekeepers
27
Agreement with benefits: Trend is positive
74%77% 78%
65%
73% 72%70%
61%
67% 66% 65%
53% 54%
49% 48%
73%
79%
68%
67%61%
61%58% 48%
56%
50%45%
46%
49%51%55%
50%
47%
42%
48%
Mar '00 May '00 July '00 Nov '00 Mar '01 Aug '01 Nov '01 Mar '02 July '02 Nov '02 June '03
General Public
Percent who agree that each is true of biotechnology
New medicines
Feed the world
Hardier crops
Healthier foods
Renewable fuel resources
Fewer pesticides
28 26 2823 21 22 20
2521 19 20
56
5960
56
60
5757575454
50
Mar-00 May-00 Jul-00 Nov-00 Mar-03 Aug-03 Nov-03 Mar-03 Jul-03 Nov-03 Jul-03
DK/Depends Total Agree
+ 6 points%
AGREE
- 8 points% DK/
DEPENDS
“The use of biotechnology in farming will be good for our society in the long term, regardless of what some people say now.”
Total %Agree/
Depends
Consumers have grown more certain about the long term benefits of biotechnology.
29
Canada
30
Agreement with most biotech benefits remains stable
4851 50 51 52 51
53 52 5153
51
42
46
5149
5451 51
54
50
6264
6967
70
6568
6770
77 76
80
76 77 7674
4649
454645
66
70
66 65
6569
71
64
7169
63
6563
7477
74
69
46
35
45
55
65
75
85
Mar-00 Jun-00 Aug-00 Nov-00 Mar-01 Aug-01 Nov-01 Mar-02 Jun-02 Oct-02 Jul-03
Reduces chems Healthier foods Hardier crops More food
New medicines Renewable fuels
New meds
More food
Hardier crops
Less chems
Healthier foods
Renewable fuels
Percent among general public who strongly or somewhat agree
31
35 3533
3638
36 3633
35
40
46 47
42 42 4244 45 46
48 47
3739
20
40
60
Mar-00
Jun-00
Aug-00
Nov-00
Mar-01
Aug-01
Nov-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Oct-02
Jul-03
Biotech foods increasingly viewed as safe
Safer/safe as other crops/foods
Less safe than other crops/foods
Don’t Know 23 13 -10Depends 2 5 +3Safe/Safer 40 47 +7Less Safe 35 35 0
W1 W11Pt
Chg
Percent among general public who say GM crops are:
32
General Public
39
43
41
44
45
47
44
45
-45
-39
-42
-42
-42
-40
-40
-41
Nov-00
Mar-01
Aug-01
Nov-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Oct-02
Jul-03
Risks>Benefits Benefits>Risks
Percentage who say biotech benefits outweigh risks is increasing
43
48
53
48
45
51
49
50
-43
-40
-33
-38
-43
-40
-36
-38
Nov-00
Mar-01
Aug-01
Nov-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Oct-02
Jul-03
Risks>Benefits Benefits>Risks
Opinion Leaders+6 +7
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Consumers prefer biotech sweet corn
“Despite widespread perceptions of consumer concerns regarding the use of genetic engineering in food production, GE varieties outsold conventional sweet corn by a margin of 3:2.”
— University of Guelph Food Safety Network
35
Mexico
36
Majority agrees with biotech benefits
Q19a-e: I’m going to read you some statements. Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with each of these, or do you not know?
37
43
39
39
34
37
45
42
42
38
39
50
46
45
40
57
62
78
85
85
Healthier food
Less pesticides
Grows more food
New medicines
Hardier crops
Jun-03Oct-02Jun-02Mar-02
Percent who “strongly” or “somewhat” agree
Caution: Due to sampling change for Wave 4 (Jun-03), cannot make trending statements against Waves 1-3. Wave 4 excludes those not aware of biotechnology.
37
‘Benefits only companies’ tops concerns
44
48
51
41
42
40
41
47
49
59
44
45
46
44
50
48
58
39
45
47
39
36
41
52
53
53
57
62
Modify plantsethically wrong
Modify animalsethically wrong
Not regulated enough
Human health
Environment
Not adequately tested
Benefits only Cos.
Jun-03Oct-02Jun-02Mar-02
Percent who “strongly” or “somewhat” agree
Q19f-l: I’m going to read you some statements. Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with each of these, or do you not know?
38
Concerns high about overall food safety
Q13: How much, if at all, do you worry that foods you buy might not be safe to eat?
52
54
56
64
36
37
38
26
11
9
6
8
1
2
Mar-02
Jun-02
Oct-02
Jun-03
A great deal Some A little Not at all
39
China, Mexico, Brazil and U.S. have most favorable views of biotechnology
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
China Mexico Brazil U.S. Canada Australia GreatBritain
Italy France Germany
Strongly favor Somewhat favor
Per
cent
age
of s
uppo
rt
Source: Environics/GlobeScan
40
Europeans are reassessing their position on biotechnology
Consumers are getting more balanced information:• 2003
– 43 percent heard from opponents
– 41 percent heard from both sides equally
– Only a 2 percent gap in the balance of information
• 2002– 17 percent gap
• 2001– 29 percent gap
Source: ABE, 2003
41
Reassessing: Fewer Europeans say biotech crops and foods are less safe
53
17
27
53
4431
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2001 2002 2003
Less safe Don't know
Per
cent
age
of s
uppo
rt
Source: CBI, June 2003
Percentage of people who say biotech crops and foods are less safe than other crops and food.
42
Reassessing: More Europeans say “don’t know” when asked if they would buy biotech food
3
15
29
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2001 2002 2003
Don't know
Per
cent
age
of r
espo
nden
ts
Source: ABE, June 2003
46
Turning the tide: 2004 headlines
“Doctors 100% behind decision to allow GM maize” – Scotsman.com
“Uganda gives cautious approval to GM food” – SciDev.net
“Chile may expand range of genetically modified products” – Dow Jones
“EU Food Agency clears Monsanto rapeseed” – The Ledger
“GM food crops to be planted in weeks”
– Sydney Morning Herald“China eyes GM food crops to cut
costs” – Reuters“GM cotton farming in SA a success”
– Business Day“Premier for GM foods in Sweden”
– Oresund Food Excellence
47
Turning the tide: 2004 headlines
“World biotech plantings increase by 15 pct” – Reuters
“Double-digit record growth continues for biotech crops worldwide, says ISAAA report” – DallasNews.com
“GM technology transforms farming” – Ontario Farmer
“Ontario farmers continue to increase their use of biotechnology” – AgCare
48
Challenges Ahead
• Lack of awareness, information
• New product acceptance• Wheat
• Animal biotech
• Trade disputes/market access
• Chronic hunger, poverty
49
Jury is still out . . . June 2003
% Heard little/nothing about biotechnology 66
% Benefit Awareness – Don’t know Less Pesticides 39 More food 20 Healthier food 32 Hardier crops 29 Renewable fuels 42
% Agree with concerns – Don’t know Health risks 30 Environmental risks 33 Inadequate testing 33 Inadequate regulations 37
% Safety of biotech foods/crops – Don’t Know 21% Benefits outweigh risks – Don’t Know 19% Good for society in long term – Don’t Know 20% Support GM foods – Neutral 25% Support biotech crops - Neutral 22
Awareness
Benefits
Concerns
Acceptance
50
28%
44%
48%
67%
Heard some or a lot
Heard little or nothing
Develop new varieties of
crops
Genetically modify foods
June ‘03
Support grows with knowledgePercent who support biotech to …
51
Council for Biotechnology Information www.whybiotech.com
Helping improve people’s understanding of the benefits of agricultural and food biotechnology
www.whybiotech.com
The Politics of GMOs:Sound Science vs. Sound Bites
Canola Council of CanadaPuerto Vallarta, Mexico
March 23, 2004