Consumers and Biotechnology: A Synopsis of Survey and Focus Group Research

Abstract

The Office of Consumer Affairs of Industry Canada, in conjunction with other federal departments, has undertaken preliminary work to identify concerns and highlight consumer issues with respect to biotechnology and its applications. This has included conducting a number of surveys and focus groups to identify what consumers know about biotechnology; where there are information gaps; and how information impacts upon consumers’ purchasing decisions.

This paper is structured into five sections. First, it provides an overview of some background information on biotechnology. The second section summarises consumers’ knowledge of, and reactions to, biotechnology. Next, the paper highlights factors that influence consumers’ attitudes towards biotechnology. The fourth section examines two ways of overcoming marketplace barriers contrasting increased consumer awareness with more traditional legislative mechanisms. The concluding section outlines questions that need to be answered in order to determine how the marketplace can best address issues related to biotechnological products.

Heather Sheehy is a policy analyst at Health Canada, P.L. 3007A, Holland Cross, Tower A, Suite 709, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9, Canada. E-mail: heather_sheehy@hc-sc.gc.ca. At the time of writing she was with the Office of Consumer Affairs, Industry Canada.