Biotechnology firms are in a better position than government regulators to gain consumer trust when marketing genetically modified animals, says an American businessperson.
“Increasingly, we have to think about our customers’ customers,” said Mark Walton, president of Via- Gen Inc. of Austin, Texas, which develops cloning technology for livestock producers, during the recent Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference in Saskatoon.
He said producers tend to buy products based on their ability to improve their operations.
However, consumers are concerned with more than just the health implications of GM meat.
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Walton said they are also considering factors such as environmental impact, fair treatment of employees and humane treatment of animals, which is where biotech firms need to become more engaged with the public.
“They don’t know the people who are developing the technology. More importantly perhaps, they don’t know our values,” he said.
“ Do we have their best interest in mind? They’re never going to meet us, and they certainly can’t control us. And so that is a recipe for angst.”
Walton said the biggest challenge is winning over consumers who don’t know how their food is produced and who don’t have the scientific training to evaluate genetic technology.
He said studies have found that less than two percent of the U.S. population is involved in agriculture.
“I know far too many people who think food came from a grocery store.”
Walton said the Biotech Industry Organization is doing a good job lobbying the U.S. government to regulate biotech products under the same rules as veterinary pharmaceuticals, which would increase consumer’s willingness to buy them.
