Human Practice
In order to use genetic engineering industrially, it is necessary to obtain the general public's understanding of its safety and significance. However, there are lots of people who hold negative opinions on genetic modification. We assume that the background is the dissemination of negative and uncertain information by the media, and it is necessary for the public to understand the correct information about genetic modification through our activities.
In order for the public to understand more about genetic modification, and that genetically modified food is “Generally safe” and “Significance for solving food problems and mass production of pharmaceutical ingredients”, we held presentations in the science cafeteria in our school and also during our school's open campus. And after each presentation, we conducted questionnaire survey.
Most of the university students who joined our survey learned about genetic modifications in class. And for high school students and adults, most of them obtained information from television programs and the Internet.
In Japan, three-quarters(73.2%) of respondents answered “No.” for the question, “Do you know that there are products that do not have the obligate to label GMO even if they uses genetically modified crops as raw materials?”
Graph 1
81.3% of the respondents answered “No.” for the question, “Do you mind that the food was genetically modified?”.
Graph 2
After our presentations, 47.9% of them answered that their impression towards genetic modification was improved.
Graph 3
Most of the collaborators were university students, but more than 70% of them do not know that there are foods who are not obligated to label GMO, and they don’t mind even if they are genetically modified foods. This result suggests that university students have low awareness about genetic modification.
Different from what we have expected, those who chose “Useful.” for the question “What do you think about Genetically Modified Organisms?”, are more than the number who chose “Dangerous.”
From the results obtained, we get to know that the significance of genetic modification is being understood by the public.
Throughout this activity, nearly half of them understood the significance of genetic modification and had good impression on it, so we think that our aim to enlighten the public has been achieved.