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Asian Acceptance of
Food and Agriculture Biotechnology
Asia has recently experienced a significant
stirring of issues that could have a major impact on the worldwide
direction of biotech. Isolated press and activist attacks
on Biotech raise the concern for how large the rest of the
iceberg is. Regulators are uncertain and slow to approve applications.
Food chain participants avoid taking a position. Politicians
and political organizations use emotive weapons for reasons
that have nothing to do with food. Diplomats worry about long
term effects on national economies.
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The
Asian population is in an era of uncertainty over their
future food source. The old questions over sufficient
supply of food are no longer top of mind. The new questions
and decisions |
over which food sources to trust are just beginning to be
addressed .Decisions throughout the entire food value chain
await government and public conclusions.Government bureaucracies
wait on policy decisions, which in turn are waiting to discernthe
leanings of the public. However, the leanings and conclusions
of the public are being formed by messages from imperfect
voices.
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BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ASIA: RISING OR SETTING?
The
'Anti' voices have credibility with the public because they
were the first and are the loudest. 'Pro' voices are not speaking
up because they either sound defensive (read 'guilty') or
lack credibility due to suspected motives or weak messages.
The public is not receiving balanced messages on issues that
matter to them; not in terms they relate to; and not from
thought leaders whom they trust. So, What are the issues in
the mind of each 'public'? Who can speak up? Who will speak
up? Who has credibility with the public if they do speak up?
What messages are effective in judging the choices? What messages
are needed to explain the issues?
Larry Taylor,
President, Aziotics
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