GMO Concerns Increasing Significantly in India and China

Two populous nations could determine future of GMOs

May 1, 2014 | Source: Organic and Non-GMO Report | by Ken Roseboro

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A 2013 GlobeScan public opinion survey found that 46% of people across 10 coun- tries (China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Turkey, the U.K. and the US) say that GM crops pose a “very serious” issue.

Overall concern levels across the nations that GlobeScan consistently has polled have risen a modest five percentage points since 2003. But in India, the number of consumers now describing GM crops as a very serious issue is up 13 points to 47% since 2011. In China, the same measure is up five points to 40%. When we combine those who call GM crops a “somewhat serious” issue with those who describe it as “very serious,” the rise in concern is much starker in both countries.

The fact that China and India are home to roughly 2.5 billion people and are major drivers of the global food system on both the demand and supply side is why this is important now. Consumer and producer sentiment in India and China is likely to influence the trajectory of agricultural biotech.

(SOURCE: GlobScan)