The biotechnology debate is changing — new voices are entering the debate, the technology is changing, and much of the innovation is originating from outside of North America.
It means many scientists who have defended the use of genetically modified crops in the past are today dealing with fewer activists and more people who are curious or have concerns about their food.
Scientists from around the world and representatives of farm organizations gathered in Guelph recently to share stories about being on the frontline of the debate.
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“It’s funny, I think we’ve turned a corner,” said Kevin Folta, a professor at the University of Florida, and well-know biotech defender. He said activists are changing their focus from the safety of GM crops to herbicides and bees.
“What’s changed is that the average science enthusiast is excited about technology. They love a new phone, love enhanced features in their car and now they’re a little excited about technology that makes their food safer or healthier,” he said.
“The nerd brigade has turned their attention to it. In social media, they have taken our place. It’s no longer four scientists talking to the unreachable.”
Conferences like the Biotech Bootcamp are designed to help by bringing together scientists to learn what for many is like a new language.
“We’re doing amazingly better (at communicating to the public),” said Folta, who has received threats for his biotech support. To this day, he will not open packages from sources he does not know.
“Scientists listen to debate and poke holes in arguments.
“We didn’t listen to understand people. The corollary to that is when we listen and understand why people are upset and have concerns, we realize this is their reality in their heart. We can’t ignore that and always did.”
The use of the biotechnology is spreading, said C.S. Prakash, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Alabama-based Tuskegee University.
People post pictures on Instagram of a GM grapefruit because it is a brilliant colour and high in antioxidants, not because it is GM, he said.
“There are more products labelled boldly as having genetically engineered ingredients,” he said. “And it’s not driving people away.”
For the first 25 years of GM crops, most involved corn, soybeans and cotton. In Western Canada, many farmers first became acquainted with GM crops in canola.
Now, there are GM fruits and vegetables, most of them focused on disease resistance or consumer health.
Disease resistance is the area where genetic modification has the biggest potential to do good, said Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California at Davis. Van Eenennaam runs a livestock genetics research lab there.
GM technology is also changing with recently developed gene-editing techniques, the best known being CRISPR.
Folta said this technique, which involves replacing, inserting or deleting a small portion of an organism’s DNA, should be more acceptable to consumers.
GM acceptance also becomes more widespread as more countries get involved with their own local research. African governments are solving many of their own problems using GM.
“They have beautiful labs in Kenya,” Folta said. “They are going to solve their own problems. It’s not coming from us. They are sick of waiting.”
