If yes, how to get about this problem? How to inform the consumer about the benefit and risk of "transgenic" food ?
Yes there is a lacuna on adequate information among general people about "transgenics'.... and their acceptance is conditioned by the risk that they perceive from introducing food into their consumption habits processed through technology that they hardly understand....detailed information is given in these links:-
Article Genetically modified foods: Safety, risks and public concern...
Article Genetically Modified Foods and Social Concerns
Article Consumer Perception of Genetically Modified Organisms and So...
Dear Dr. Jost,
Many scientist and agencies tried to tackle the problem through divulgation.
Certainly the teaching of scientific subjects in the mandatory years of schools, the age distribution of the population and the fake news spread by ignorant or profiteers play a major role in the frustrating scarce results achieved till now.
In my experience the availability of information is not the main problem, but the inability to distinguish fakes and contextualize because of a scientific background substituted by a pseudo-platonic belief that nature is composed by the things as we first encounter them in our life and alter them is equivalent to twisting them, as if evolution was punctuated.
Most people knows about evolution and chemical composition as notions, but they have no clue about how it works around them, how molecules are the same disregarding of the origin written on the cover, how crops they eat were and are moved and breed.
They wouldn't complain if improved transgenic products were served to them without labelling them as GMOs, but if they see the label first, they would refuse on principle because worried.
Unfortunately this ignorance is so wide-spread that was included in several laws, in particular the EU ones legally defining "GMO" and enforcing the "Precaution Principle".
As a matter of fact, if the ban of GMOs and the Precaution Principle were to use accurate information and enforced, we would die of starvation, because everything would be classified as genetically modified and possibly dangerous, therefore banned.
I deem the only solutions to make science more open and focus on the education of the young, involving them, emphasizing the benefits of scientific and technical knowledge, not just of their products, and wait for our society to catch up.
Dear Dr Bal, I greatly appreciate your comments and the 3 articles that you had the kindness to give us. Thank you
Dear Dr Villa, Thank you for your contribution. I fully agree with you. We should start with education, as soon as possible (primary school). Talking to teachers I was appalled to realize how little knowledge they had about sciences in general (primary and secondary school teachers) and they knew practically nothing about transgenic plants except to tell me that it was bad. In this case we should start by giving teachers a better education in natural sciences (especially in my country!!!)...
Yes, there is a lack of critical information about genetically modified foods among the general public as the risk of GM foods is still debatable Thus, consumer's awareness towards GM foods is necessary for their wider use. The awareness programme should include increased promotion and media coverage of GM foods, and establishment of voluntary GM food labeling system.
No, I do not think so. In general there is a lot of critical information circulating in different media. However, a more balanced infomation state should be favoured, shedding more light on problems as well as on benefits offered by GMO (especially in the context of plants and food).
Mas q falta de info, es la baja educacion y cultura que hay, ya que si los transgenicos fueran tan malos, habria muchas muertes, sino veamos el caso de la insulina transgenica a cuantos mata? y es directamente puesta en la piel de las personas al organismo directamente, entonces qué es mas dañino? los quimicos q le dan a la gente com anti diabetes o los alimentos que solo tienen esa funcion???
Dear Dr Beltran
Estoy de acuerdo con usted. Si las plantas transgénicas fueran tan malas, habría más muertes. Todo es educativo, no solo a nivel universitario, sino también para el público en general. ¡De este lado todavía queda mucho por hacer!
There is definitely excessive misinformation available to the transgenic plants/food to the general public influenced by antiGMO organisations and politicians for their own benefits or supporting their businesses.
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