Tim Hassigner with Dow AgroSciences was at ASTA CSS & Seed Expo to talk with members of the seed industry about the gap in information between themselves and consumers.
“It’s definitely a time when there’s more questions and concerns related to food, but […] information sharing can make a difference,” he told the audience durning the morning session.
The consumer voice is on the rise. Despite this summer’s passage of the Labeling Law, a growing number of people, especially women and moms, told the Center for Food Integrity that food production in the U.S. is on the wrong track. Fortunately, Hassigner says, many of those opinions aren’t fixed.
Among the general public, roughly one third of consumers are for GMOs, one third are against, and one third are undecided. When one such group was assembled for a debate on the topic, opinions at the end of the event were reported as approximatly 60 percent for, 30 percent against, and 9 percent undecided.
“What occurred here is we moved the middle,” Hassigner explains. “When information is shared it has a significant impact on the middle.”
In the effort to inform the public, Hassigner encourages members of the seed industry to find a partner in the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). It was only with their help the Labeling Law was achieved.
Listen to Hassigner’s here to learn more: Tim Hassigner, Dow AgroSciences
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