Food and Farm Conversations

How to Change the Hearts and Minds of a Concerned Public

Kevin M. FoltaProfessor and Chairman

Horticultural Sciences Department

kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta kfolta@ufl.edu

www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com

How do we ensure that How do we ensure that everyone has access to everyone has access to agricultural innovation?agricultural innovation?

Where we Where we areare

Technology we Technology we wantwant

What They Think

“Farmers are poisoning us”

“Corporations want to control

the food supply”

“We aren’t’ sure what to believe”

“We’ll make choices to protect

our families”

What We Know

“Safest and most abundant food supply in history”

“Use every safe technology possible to farm profitably

and sustainably”

Why They Think This Way

“Farmers are poisoning us”

“Corporations want to control

the food supply”

“We aren’t’ sure what to believe”

“We’ll make choices to protect

our families”

You are both warm and competent!

The discussion is taking place in social media space.

Scientists, farmers, ranchers, etc are NOT participating.

You are part of the “immune system”?

Maximizing your e-Real EstateThe Discussion is Happening in Social Media!

Producers have the most credibility and need to get involved.

Obtain a dedicated Gmail account- use your real name.

Sign up for facebook, twitter, instagram, pintrest, etc.

Get a blog space on blogspot.com or wordpress.

Answer questions in comments sections of news articles.

How do we learn from our mistakes, from social science, from psychology, to better communicate what we do?

How do we become trusted sources?

How do we do this effectively?

Know a Few Central Core ConceptsHumans have always participated in plant genetic improvement.

Genetic Engineering is a precise extension of conventional plant breeding.

“The techniques used pose no more risk (actually less risk) than conventional breeding.” (NAS, AAAS, AMA, EFSA many others)

In the 18 years these products have been used, there has not been one case of illness or death related to these products

In the USA there are several traits used in only 8 (- +) commercial crops, with risks and benefits.

HOMEWORK:

Watch LICENSE TO FARM.

Rel

ativ

e nu

mbe

r in

popu

latio

n

Relative scientific understanding

Nonexperts

Farmers, scientists,

Etc.

MOST PEOPLE!!!!

FEAR FACTS

LOGOS PATHOS

ETHOS

LOGOS PATHOS

ETHOS

Start with ETHOS to establish common ground

Use LOGOS to provide evidence

Use PATHOS to reinforce and visualize

State your larger priorities up front

FarmersAnimal Welfare

The NeedyFood Safety

Environment

Consumers

Augment shared values with personalize your message.

Tell your story. Start with your concerns. Why do you do what you do?

Talk about points that everyone can agree upon

Refer to your family, your personal goals.

Glyphosate resistant and insect resistant crops, while helpful to farmers, do not win the hearts and minds of the general public

These are not “Big Ag” technologies!

Win back emotional capital with lost opportunities – Where did we fail to address our shared values?

More Barriers: Avoid these Mistakes

Avoid “feed the world” rhetoric

Always discuss strengths and limitations

Don’t ever claim it is a single solution.

Don’t discount all facets of “organic” ag, discuss common goals

Don’t criticize other forms of genetic improvement…

Our farmers are the solution.

Jennie Schmidt

Brian Scott

Sarah Schultz

Work Smart

Speak to your strengths

Talk about what you know on your operation

Know when to disconnect

Don’t lose your cool

Recognize the concerned and the difficult

Creating the Change You Want to See

Stick to your strengths

Learn the things you don’t understand

Chime in. We need you.

What Plant Genetic Improvement Is

More varieties

Grow better under given conditions

Improved yields

Safer products

Improved nutrtion

What Plant Genetic Improvement Is

People think

Improved yields

Why Do We Need to Genetically Improve Plants?

Native plants have little/no food value

Many plants produce toxins

Plants don’t survive well in cultivation

Adjustments of genetics can help plants adapt to human need

Humans have always manipulated crop genetics

A new variety is like a needle in a haystack

What about genetic What about genetic engineering?engineering?

• Why do we need genetic engineering?

We can move genes/traits, that we cannot move by breeding and selection.

Allows us to solve problems that have no other solution, and have positive effects on the environment.

Recombinant human insulin, 1983

Papaya Ringspot Virus, 1998

• Why do we need genetic engineering?

We can move genes/traits, that we cannot move by breeding and selection.

Move traits much more rapidly than breeding

Recombinant chymosin in cheese

GM Crops Available Now

10

potato

apple

What are the Three Main Traits?

Virus Resistance

Insect Resistance

Herbicide Resistance

Google “Biotechnology Literacy Day” if you are interested in mechanisms

State your larger priorities up front

FarmersAnimal Welfare

The NeedyFood Safety

Environment

Consumers

Who’s technology is this?

Technology exists TODAY that can:

-Provide needed micronutrients to hungry populations-Add virus resistance to key crops in the developing world-Help plants grow in changing climates and weather extremes, such as heat, drought, flooding, cold. -Plants that protect themselves from pests, cutting need for insecticides

-Why don’t we use them?

Success Stories (We Can’t Use)

Golden Rice

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Opposition to golden rice cost $2 billion to farmers in developing countries and 1.4 million human years – Wesseler et al., 2014

Cassava

Virus Resistant Cassava (VIRCA)

Biocassava Plus (BC Plus)

250 million depend on cassava

50 million tons lost to virus.

X

X Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Golden Bananas Beta carotene producing

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Bacterial Wilt in Bananas

>70% of carbohydrate calories for some areas

GM trials in Uganda

X

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

X

Hypoallergenic PeanutsPeanut – RNAi suppression Ara h2

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

GE chickens do not pass on Avian Influenza

Episode 007

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

X

X

X

X Animal welfare

AquaBounty Salmon – attains market weight in less time. Salmon may be farmed on inland pools, generating high protein food on fewer inputs.

Episode 008

X

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

X

X

X

X Wild populations

Low Acrylamide, non Browning Potatoes

XX

Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

BS2 TomatoA pepper gene in tomato eases black spot and wilt.

X

X Farmers

Consumers

Environment

Needy

Stopping Citrus Greening

Spinach defensin

NPR1

Lytic peptides

Many show promise

Earliest deregulation is 2019

Gene editing

CRISPR/Cas9

Generates the same outcome as traditional breeding, just fast.

Coming soon!

Gene Editing

Horn Gene Horn Gene

NO HORNS!!!

Good beef

Bad milkHORNS!!!

Bad beef

Great milk

Gene Editing

Horn Gene Horn Gene

NO HORNS!!!

Good beef

Bad milkHORNS!!!

Bad beef

Great milk

Cross….

Mix of bad beef, bad milk production

Gene Editing

Horn Gene Horn Gene

NO HORNS!!!

Good beef

Bad milkHORNS!!!

Bad beef

Great milk

Horn Gene

NO HORNS!!!

Bad beef

Good milk

Conclusions

Thank you

kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta

www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com

My funding: arabidopsisthaliana.com/funding.html

kfolta@ufl.edu

Dr. Norman Borlaug