The chief technology officer of the world’s largest seed company says there are things his company could have done differently when it comes to how Monsanto has talked about genetically modified organisms over the past 20 years.
Monsanto’s Robb Fraley told attendees at the Indiana Agribusiness Conference because Monsanto had the science behind the product when his company brought their first genetically modified organisms to the market they focused on reaching out to the farmer and not to consumers.
“In the absence of taking a direct communication role with the consumer, critics that don’t like the technology and don’t like the agriculture or who don’t like farming were able to take advantage of online platforms and create a lot of the challenges and myths we still deal with today,” he says.
Fraley tells Brownfield hindsight is 20/20 and while it is important to debunk some of the mistruths that can be found online about GMOs – he thinks it is just as important to build trust and credibility with consumers moving forward.
He says that means finding a common ground.
“Most people that I talk to understand that the world population is increasing and the world is getting more crowded and the world is also getting wealthier and more people are going to enjoy better meals and better diets in the future,” he says.
Fraley says the demand for food is expected to double by 2050 and society has a choice on how it plans to meet that need.
He says by utilizing technology, farmers can increase yields and productivity without harming the environment. Fraley says that’s not only beneficial to battling food insecurity but also helps to increase agriculture’s sustainability.
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com