Attitudes in the public debates on agricultural biotechnology in developing countries

摘要

Three stakeholder perception surveys conducted in the Philippines, Mexico and South Africa indicate that the overall attitude toward the risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology in developing countries is predominantly pragmatic. Yet, the polarizing forces in favor of or against agricultural biotechnology in these national debates are largely fueled by stakeholders from Europe and the United States. The author argues that these foreign stakeholders may have a strategic interest to intervene in public debates in developing countries with the expectation of gaining public trust back home. National academia, which still enjoys most public trust in developing countries, should counteract this trend in this particular area by reassuming political and scientific leadership in their respective countries.