Faith Nguthi, Senior Program Officer, ISAAA, AfriCenter f.nguthi@isaaa

1. The need for common strategies and approaches to biotech communication in KenyaExperience sharing workshop, 14thSept, 2012 Faith Nguthi, Senior Program Officer, ISAAA, AfriCenter f.nguthi@isaaa.org

2. Crop biotechnology • One of the many possible scientific options to improve agricultural productivity, • Has triggered increased interest due to consistent and substantial benefits. • About 16.7 million farmers in 29 countries have planted biotech crops spread across 160 million hectares (James, 2011). • Has sparked debate on perceived risks and safety and often caught in a maelstrom of controversy.

3. Biotech controversy • Widespread misunderstanding and conflicting opinions • Lack of distinction between established fact, myths and misinformation. • These conflicting messages reach across all aspects of the technology: • technology development and use, enabling policies, safety and regulation and socio-economic impacts. • Results to fear, confusion and indecision

4. Acceptance Issues related to Biotech Crops • Food safety – food as safe, or safer, than conventional • Environmental Impact • Gene Flow– conservation of biodiversity – coexistence • Effect on non-target organisms – Target specific tech • Management of Bt resistance – durability, a challenge • Ownership of the technology • Role of the Private sector, IPR – public/private balance • Ethical considerations– the right to food Source: Clive James, 2012

5. Public acceptance • Public will accept biotechnology only when individuals decide for themselves that GM crops and food products will contribute to their personal well-being • To make such a decision, ordinary people will need greater awareness and understanding of how GM food is safe, will affect the environment, human health, local and national economies, and the well-being of society.

6. Public acceptance • Key to public acceptance is the establishment of a functional regulatory system having legitimate authority to control use of the technology • Public awareness that such a system operates to protect the environment, human and animal health

7. Communicatingalongbiotech Product development and Utilisation pathways- Stakeholder identificationandMessaging Farmer release, post market surveillance Extensive risk assessment Field testing For each phase: Differentstakeholders; different messages, Greenhouse Laboratory Source: PBS Docs, ISAAA collections.

8. Objective The goal of the workshop is to share experience in communicating about various biotech projects • To identify areas of possible communication convergence and promote partnerships. • To identify opportunities that the projects can jointly engage to create the conducive social, political, economic environment necessary for the adoption of biotech products currently being developed in the country. • To establish a set of consistent, integrated and timely messages along the product development continuum, for various stakeholder groups

9. Experience sharing

10. Expected outputs • Common messages developed along biotech crops development and utilization pathway. • Possible areas of partnerships and platforms for communication identified • A coordination committee established