A senior representative of consumer organisation Which? has said that policy makers and industry leaders should listen to consumers, rather than condescend them over the controversial issue of genetic modification.

Chief Policy officer Sue Davies said in food industry magazine The Grocer that research by her organisation has shown that the majority of consumers want GM-free goods. She said the acceptance of consumers must be at the heart of any debate on food production.

Although there has been talk by government and industry leaders of the need to ‘educate consumers of the benefits of GM,’ Davies said that if consumers dislike one method of production, no market will develop for the product. She added that the focus of GM debates has often been “too much on technology, rather than defining the wider issues that concern producers, retailers and consumers.”

Research Which?, conducted last year, showed 71 per cent of consumers would like retailers to introduce GM-free policies and 70 per cent would like assurances that animal feed is also free from GM ingredients.

Upon announcing the closure of the company’s GM operations in Europe in January this year BASF spokesperson Stefan Marcinowski said, “There is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe – from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians. It does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”

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