Australian Government agency Biotechnology Australia has today released the report What you really need to know about what the public really thinks about GM foods aimed at increasing understanding of consumers’ complex attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) crops and food.

Speaking at the AusBiotech Conference in Perth today, Manager of Public Awareness for Biotechnology Australia, Mr Craig Cormick, said, “Many consumer attitude studies have been conducted that provide a simple understanding of public attitudes, such as the general question ‘will you eat GM foods’, but the reality of public attitudes has been found to be more complex.”

“Industry needs to gain a better understanding of consumer attitudes if it is to find a closer alignment between GM products that might be produced and consumer needs,.”

“All too often decisions relating to GM food and crops are based on perceptions of public perceptions, rather than a solid understanding of what public perceptions actually are,” Mr Cormick added.

A recent study, undertaken by Eureka Strategic Research for Biotechnology Australia, highlighted the fact that consumer attitudes are complex. For example, the study found there are many variables that can change a person’s attitude towards GM foods, such as the type of food being produced, its price and whether the genetic modification involves inserting a gene from a different species or animal.

“It is also important to understand that attitudes seek affirmation, so people will commonly seek out data that supports an existing attitude, dismissing or denigrating any data that is contrary to a set attitude,” Mr Cormick said.

The five key findings of the Report are:

1. What consumers say in surveys is not always how consumers actually behave;
2. General attitudes towards foods are amongst the biggest predictor of attitudes towards GM foods;
3. As a relative concern, GM food concerns are comparable to concerns about artificial preservatives;
4. There is a poor understanding of what genetically modified actually means, and what foods are genetically modified, with wide belief that many fruits and vegetables in supermarkets in Australia may be GM;
5. Attitudes to GM foods are also influenced by a hierarchy of values; and
6. GM foods have become a focus for various ideologies.

The report “What you really need to know about what the public really thinks about GM foods” in PDF format:
http://www.biotechnology.gov.au/assets/documents/bainternet/foodrelease20051122155416%2Epdf.

The Eureka Strategic Research report Public Awareness Research 2005: GM Food and Non-Food Products, can be accessed at http://www.biotechnology.gov.au/reports.