NAMA MARCH MEETING THE BIOTECH CONVERSATION MARCH 2013

Transcription

1 NAMA MARCH MEETING THE BIOTECH CONVERSATION MARCH 2013

2 TODAY S DISCUSSION What is biotech wheat? What is the environment for biotech wheat? Where do retailers stand? Where does labeling stand? Who is our opposition? What is WIA and what are we doing?

3 WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY? A broad set of innovative tools designed to improve crops Biotechnology will allow us to increase beneficial characteristics or to decrease unfavorable characteristics in wheat

4 WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS? Improve farmers ability to grow wheat with less impact on the environment Reduce pesticide, fertilizer, and water use Manage volatile weather conditions 9

5 WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS? Grains with increased fiber and mineral content Reduced or gluten-free wheat Continued availability of wheat as an affordable staple Ability to grow wheat with less impact on the environment

6 THE ENVIRONMENT FOR BIOTECH Gaining Momentum Sources U.S. Dept of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Acreage, 2012 Source: Clive, James, Brief 43: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: ISAAA, 2011.

7 THE ENVIRONMENT FOR BIOTECH Consumers Respond to Environmental Benefits Question: All other things being equal, how likely would you be to buy bread, crackers, cookies, cereals or pasta made with flour from wheat that had been modified by biotechnology to use less land, water and/or pesticides? Source: 2012 IFIC Food Technology Survey.

8 THE ENVIRONMENT FOR BIOTECH Consumers Respond to Nutritional Benefits Question: All other things being equal, how likely would you be to buy bread, crackers, cookies, cereals or pasta made with flour from wheat that had been modified by biotechnology in order to provide enhanced nutritional benefits? Source: 2012 IFIC Food Technology Survey.

9 WHERE DO RETAILERS STAND? Walmart announced in August that after working with respected food safety experts they were going to begin selling GM corn Con Agra, PepsiCo, Walmart and 20 other major-food companies have met with labeling advocacy groups to discuss labeling Whole Foods recently announced that it will label all GM foods by 2018

10 ORGANIC SECTOR GROWING Source: USDA, Nutritional Business Journal

11 LESSONS FROM PROP 37 Anti-GM activists will proceed to force pro-gm forces to play whack a mole around the country at great cost Initiatives are being discussed in as many as 30 States Prop 37 proved that education is very important to changing the tide Early polls showed that 80% of the population in CA was in favor of labeling, but the initiative was defeated with 58% of the vote Social media allows labeling activists to start initiatives around the country at little cost

12 NGOS USING SOCIAL MEDIA Trust me, it s safe.

13 ONLINE SCARE TACTICS

14 EDUCATION HELPS 1 in 3 Consumers Expressed Positive Attitudes Toward GM Crops After Education

15 WHEAT CONVERSATIONS INCREASING / 5/ 7/ 9/ 11 /1 3/ 5/ 7/ 9/ 11 /1 3/ 5/ 7/ 9/ 11 /1 3/ 5/ 7/ 9/ 11 /1 3/ Conversations Per Day Trend 30 Day Moving Avg.

16 LOGIC CAN PREVAIL I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING SPENT SEVERAL YEARS RIPPING UP GM CROPS. I AM ALSO SORRY THAT I HELPED TO START THE ANTI-GM MOVEMENT BACK IN THE MID 1990S, AND THAT I THEREBY ASSISTED IN DEMONIZING AN IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGICAL OPTION WHICH CAN BE USED TO BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT. AS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, AND SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD HAS A RIGHT TO A HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS DIET OF THEIR CHOOSING, I COULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN A MORE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE PATH. I NOW REGRET IT COMPLETELY. -MARK LYNAS, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST

17 RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT 15

18 WHO IS WIA? The Wheat Innovation Alliance (WIA) is a diverse group of industry leaders dedicated to helping create a positive environment for the advancement of wheat innovation.

19 WHAT ARE WE FOCUSED ON? As a united team, WIA members focus on: Driving education and outreach Fostering constructive dialogue Coordinating communications

20 OUR KEY MESSAGES Wheat is essential to the global diet, but a number of serious issues (including more people and less farmland) threaten its supply. WIA was formed to support innovative ways of improving wheat and the way we grow it. Advances like biotechnology will help us grow more and better wheat with less impact on the environment. As we develop biotech wheat, our top priorities are quality, safety and delivering what our customers demand. As with other crops, biotech wheat will be subject to extensive scientific testing and tough government approval processes.

21 THANK YOU