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Public Perception of Industrial Biotechnology
24.09.2012
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Author: Admin User

The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, with funding from Sciencewise, sought
to assess the public perception of Industrial Biotechnology.

Duration

2008 - 2008

Status

finished

Background

The Sciencewise ERC provided £60,000 funding to the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) for a project to assess the public perception of Industrial Biotechnology (IB). IB is the application of bioscience (including genetically modified organisms) for the processing and production of chemicals, materials and energy.

Aim

The aim of the project was to assess and understand the public perception and values around IB. The key objectives for the work were to:

 

• Enable BERR, together with other relevant departments such as Defra to make better-informed decisions on policy for the uptake of IB.
• Test the water for a potentially larger cross-Government public communication exercise and public dialogue that would inform any refresh of the GM crop policy.
• Provide a mechanism whereby a broader group of NGOs could be drawn into the IB-IGT process.
• Create greater awareness of IB amongst the public and an understanding of likely concerns and drivers for renewable chemicals.
• Help to build public confidence in the Government’s use, management and regulation of science and technology.
• Draw out the wider relationship between IB and GM that could inform the Royal Society’s report on biological mechanisms for enhancing food crop production and work to take forward the Cabinet Office Study on the Future of Food and Food Policy.

Process

The work involved deliberative Citizens’ Groups to allow for intensive discussion over consecutive days in a ‘hothouse’ environment.

Results

The key impacts of the project were:

 

• To enable BERR to make better informed decisions on policy for the uptake of IB by the chemicals and chemicals-using sectors that take account of public views.
• Identify the key issues of importance for consumers if IB is taken forward to help with potential future communications exercises and public dialogues.

More information

View the report, Public Perceptions of Industrial Biotechnology.

Contact

Sciencewise-ERC Helpline: 0870 190 6324   e-mail: enquiries@sciencewise-erc.org.uk

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Case Study

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Method

  • Deliberative Workshops

Categories

Country

United Kingdom

Purpose

Gather individual pre-existing opinions

Resources

£50,000+

Number of participants

25-99 people

Participant selection

Self selected participants attending as individuals (open access process)

Level of awareness and interest

participants need information and cannot articulate their interests

participants know about some aspects/can roughly articulate some interest

Policy area

Science and technology

Political Level

national

Limit search to...

... face to face processes

Project status

finished

Level of involvement

Consult

Filter Criteria
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