"We need to ask ourselves of what benefit is this technology to mankind, who are the main beneficiaries and are we doing it just because we can." (A concerned Australian farmer)

• Acceptance of gene technology in Australia is under increasing scrutiny:

• First Consensus Conference reinforced lay people uncertainties

• call for five-year technology moratorium receiving broad media coverage

• risk of domino effect growing

CONSUMER INFORMATION AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS

• Need to re-engineer interface between science and society:

• differentiate sound science from personal values - (regulatory science -v- people science)

• explain risk assessment, risk management and the Precautionary Principle

Avcare defines the Precautionary Principle as:

"The Precautionary Principle in the risk assessment process has legitimacy only when it is used in conjunction with the identification of inconclusive science, along with identified avenues for the correction of such cases."

• Communication must be a shared responsibility, focussing on building knowledge:

• governments: must promote consumer acceptance based on confidence in the approval systems

• scientists (CSIRO and universities) must debate role of sound science in risk assessment

• crop production industry must explain risk/benefits to farmer, and communicate stewardship programs (including adverse reporting results)

• food industry must promote community acceptance based on food benefits to consumers

• consumer groups must increase balance in risk communication

• media must find new headline to replace "Frankenstein food"

• Information and communication networks are an important tool:

• Food Biotech Communications Network (US/Canada and Europe)

• International Agrifood Network

• Agrifood Alliance Australia (AAA)

• AAA, announced in May 1999, is a joint initiative between ABA, Avcare, CRC, GRDC, NFF and SIAA:

• goal is "to help achieve public acceptance of gene technology as a fundamental tool for sustainable agriculture and world trade competitiveness"

• communication focus is on safety and the regulatory system, environmental sustainability, and new production systems

• main strategy to disseminate factual information to mothers (20-45 years old), and producers

• key tactic is to explain, not promote

Pilot focus group survey showed a 25% shift to "support technology, want to buy GM foods"

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

The consumers have given their opinion. Will the policy makers be prepared to take notice? Will they realise that for the consumers to have confidence in agricultural products, they need to be involved? The consumers have given their opinion. Will the policy makers be prepared to take notice? Will they realise that for the consumers to have confidence in agricultural products, they need to be involved? (Susan Knox, Consumer Europe)

• It is "right over might" and not "might over right": four societal rights must be respected:

• R & D entities allowed to innovate;

• crop production companies permitted to commercialise, with a life-cycle management approach;

• farmers to have more technology options, not fewer; and

• consumers to have information to choose foods they want

"We don’t care how much you know, until we know how much you care" (C Klose)