Public Acceptance of and Benefits from Agricultural Biotechnology: a Key Role for Verifiable Information

The on-going genetically modified (GM) food and genetically modified organism (GMO) conaovccsy threaten to destroy the near-term market for agbiotech food and inputs and alter greatly the net social benefits that are potentially attainable from agriculcural biotechnology. For example, consider:1. In February 2000 Greenpeace filed a lawsuit challenging the US Environmental Protection Agency's decision co allow the release of GM insect resistant (Bt) crops. In their news release they stated 'The EPA should stop [GE] polluters before the environment is threatened' (Greenpeace, 2000a).2. During the week of 23 March 2000 Greenpeace joined over 50 other organizations in a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the agency to remove genetically engineered (GE) foods from the market because it failed co require safety testing or labelling (Greenpeace, 2000b).3. In 1998, the European Union sec our co update Council Directive 90/220 covering the deliberate release of GMOs. In the spring of 2000, the EU decided not co approve any more releases until the directive is revised.4. During 1999, more than 50% of chc crop biotcch field experiments in the UK were disrupted by anti-GMO activists.