August 16, 2006

Although biotechnology is only beginning to enter mainstream consciousness, products of biotechnology have been with us for over a decade. Biotechnology builds on traditional pillars of science to provide modern scientific tools in medicine, agriculture and food. It has the potential to improve many aspects of modern day life, but in addition to the challenges of implementing the technology, there are many challenges in involving the public in the decision making process on products developed, their application and the speed of adoption.

Communicating Science – It’s More Difficult than We Think.
Why is this? Firstly, communicating this complex mix of advanced science will always be a challenge, especially to a wider audience with nominal knowledge of basic science.

Secondly, the scientific and research communities have been taught to speak ‘science’ when discussing their areas of expertise with peers and therefore, to focus on the details of their specific field, rather than to convey in simple language, the impact that their work may have on the everyday person.

The ability to ‘translate’ the complex mix of science into everyday language and context is a challenge in itself. Indeed, in this day and age when science and technology impact every individual’s life and future prospects, the field of public science communication is an area that has become a focus of academic interest in its own right. It is a discipline that is not easily mastered, as it requires adequate level of technical understanding, as well as the ability to relate this understanding to different groups of audiences in different contexts.

What Do You Mean?
The UK Royal Society recently commented that “public interest is only served where the communication of research results would further the public's understanding of, and participation in, the debate of issues of the day; allow individuals to understand how the results of research affect their lives and, in some cases, assist individuals in making informed decisions in light of the results; and bring to light information affecting public well-being and safety”.

As this would suggest, communication of complex scientific information is more than a simple process of speaking and listening. There are many factors involved which can make or break a dialogue, and each of these factors plays a role in how messages are received and processed.

AFIC research shows that preferred communication channels can vary from country to country, and often even within a country (eg. rural vs urban areas). Beyond this, there are also different communication preferences for different sections of societies. For instance, AFIC focus group research revealed that whilst the World Wide Web is potentially a great source of information, men and women viewed this as being an appropriate communication channel for the younger generation only. Similarly, AFIC research also suggested that the language and tone used in communications will play a significant role in the dictating the direction and outcome of a dialogue, and that these factors can vary when dealing with different sections of the general public.

How Does the Asian Public Fare?
AFIC’s surveys of consumer perception on biotechnology suggest that Asian consumers know little about biotechnology, with the majority of consumers being unaware of the terms and jargon used (Figure 1). However, compared to similar surveys conducted in other parts of the world, the figures indicate that Asian consumers as a whole do not ‘lag behind’ in terms of biotechnology awareness when compared to the rest of the world.

Even with the apparent lack of understanding, consumers globally are optimistic about the potential consumer-focused benefits that biotechnology can bring (Figure 2), often citing healthier and safer foods as possibilities. Asian consumers in particular are optimistic about improvements to the safety, quality and nutritional value of their food supply.

Interestingly, AFIC research suggests that the top three concerns for Asian consumers when it came to food were the nutritional value of foods, the fear of contracting diseases from animal sources (zoonotic diseases), and the contamination of foods.

In other words, the positive attitudes towards biotechnology of respondents in AFIC’s surveys are consistent with their concerns about food, because the potential benefits anticipated directly address a number of their top-of-mind concerns.

Educating the ‘Educated’
From time to time, policy makers and researchers rely on consumer data or surveys in the course of a decision making process (e.g. drafting policy).

Although all surveys will try to provide a good representation of the consumer groups, it is important to understand that there is no one single public, but many different ‘publics’ with different priorities and different attitudes towards the food they consume. The better the different segments of the general public are understood, the better the differences in drivers of diverse attitudes can be understood. Nowhere is this more apparent that in the field of biotechnology, where in most cases attitudes towards biotechnology foods are more often a reflection of broader social attitudes and ideologies, rather than differences in scientific assessment.3

Where Do We Go from Here?
Biotechnology has come a long way since it made its debut on dinner plates across the world. We are now on the verge of seeing new generation products which are able to offer better nutrition levels across a wide variety of foods, something which is sorely needed in the Asian region, with its history of nutritional challenges.

The AFIC survey shows a low level of understanding of what biotechnology is in the Asian countries surveyed, suggesting that a better public understanding of what biotechnology involves is required for the public to make more informed choices about the food they are eating. To this end, science-based communications in non-scientific language is essential for biotechnology education and outreach programmes.

As the issue of food choices is one that is very personal to most consumers, perhaps particularly the Asian public, it is important to relay to the public how biotechnology can affect each individual in their personal context. The Asian public has indicated that they wish to receive information on biotechnology that is relevant to them and this region. For example, AFIC’s consumer research finds that data sourced from other parts of the world such as the US and Europe is not perceived as credible or relevant as Asia-based social and scientific research. The challenge for the research and regulatory community is to engage and educate the public on biotechnology development and progress in their respective countries. Biotechnology has the potential to help address some of the region’s major food and health concerns, and clear and unambiguous communications can help pave the way.

References:

1. AFIC – Consumer perceptions of food biotechnology in Asia - Public report on the Asian Food Information Centre 2002 consumer survey.

2. AFIC - Communicating with consumers on food biotechnology – Report of the Asian Food Information Centre 2003 qualitative research results.

3. Biotechnology Australia, 2005: What you really need to know about what the public really thinks about GM foods.

4. Blaine, K., Kamaldeen, S., & Powell, D. (2002). Public Perceptions of Biotechnology, Journal of Food Science - Vol. 67, Nr. 9, 2002, p 3200 – 3208.

5. International Food Information Council (IFIC), 2005 – US consumer attitudes towards food biotechnology

6. Gaskell, G., Allum, N., Bauer, M. W., Jackson, J., Howard, S., & Lindsey, N. (2003). Ambivalent GM nation? Public attitudes to biotechnology in the UK, 1991-2002. Life Sciences in European Society Report: London School of Economics and Political Science

AFIC has produced a short animation clip entitled "Biotechnology: A Beginner's Guide". It is designed to provide basic conceptual understanding of this rather complex field to those with no prior knowledge in this area. The clip is available at www.afic.org.

Figure 1 – Consumer’s awareness of biotechnology in different countries.
(Data sources listed in reference)
 

Figure 2 – Are there any perceived benefits from biotechnology?
(*EU data from Eurobarometer 58.0: Europeans and Biotechnology in 2002, All other sources listed in references)