China is about to get serious on the use of genetic modification (GM). After years of uncertainty, funding cuts and public arguments, the country’s central government has issued a clear edict: China needs GM, and it will work to become a world leader in the development and application of the technology.
The intent is signalled by the government’s first policy document of the year. The document stresses that Chinese scientists must do more to convince a sceptical public of its benefits.
The new responsibility placed on Chinese researchers to communicate with the public is a significant and positive step forward. It could help to counter the widespread and irrational fear in China that GM food is unsafe to eat. A 2010 online poll of nearly 50,000 Internet users conducted by the news portal China Daily found that 84 percent would not choose GM food for safety reasons. Irrational opinions have sometimes been so strong that scientists have been intimidated and shied away from speaking out. They fear the ‘soft violence of violent language’ that is too often directed at researchers who simply advocate the commercialization of GM technology.
Most scientists in China work directly or indirectly for the government. Traditionally, these researchers have not been given, or been encouraged to take on, any broader social duties or responsibilities. The latest step could see Chinese scientists talking to the public about GM, as part of a wider effort to overturn scepticism and hostility.
If China is to make good on its intentions to boost its GM efforts, then more scientists speaking up is a good place to start.
Read full, original article: China’s scientists must engage the public on GM
