Panel on Production Systems

Public trust and confidence are keys to acceptance in any arena. In general, the public does not trust scientists but they trust politicians even less. In terms of food and agricultural issues, public expectations about food safety, health, and the environment are seeped in both emotional and rational, scientific issues. However, public acceptance in the United States of genetically modified organimsms, or GMOs, has been nearly universal, with little or no public outcry. This is compared to the outcry that is being experienced in Europe, where recent experiences have perhaps led to a breach in public faith. In Europe, ongoing mistrust may be tied to, or be an extension of, the mad-cow disease issue. The public received assurances from scientists that the disease was not a human threat, but when it proved in fact to be a threat, public confidence was jolted. Now the credibility of scientists and policy-makers is being questioned. Similar problems with the acceptance of hormones in beef are being experienced. But is this really just an issue of education and information, or the lack thereof? Is it a matter of explaining the facts and the science behind these new technologies, either through the media or some other method? New technologies can benefit us all, now and in the future, but any new technologies must be accepted by the public, or there will not be a market. Without consumer acceptance and confidence, any technologies, regardless of their potential benefit, will fail.