1. Food and Farm Conversations
How to Change the Hearts and
Minds of a Concerned Public
Kevin M. Folta
Professor and Chairman
Horticultural Sciences Department
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta kfolta@ufl.edu
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com

3. How do we ensure thatHow do we ensure that
everyone has access toeveryone has access to
agricultural innovation?agricultural innovation?

4. Where weWhere we
areare
Technology weTechnology we
wantwant

5. What They Think
“Farmers are
poisoning us”
“Corporations
want to control
the food supply”
“We aren’t’ sure
what to believe”
“We’ll make
choices to protect
our families”
What We Know
“Safest and most abundant
food supply in history”
“Use every safe technology
possible to farm profitably
and sustainably”

6. Why They Think This Way
“Farmers are
poisoning us”
“Corporations
want to control
the food supply”
“We aren’t’ sure
what to believe”
“We’ll make
choices to protect
our families”

8. You are both warm and competent!

9. The discussion is taking place in
social media space.
Scientists, farmers, ranchers, etc are
NOT participating.
You are part of the “immune
system”?

10. Maximizing your e-Real Estate
The Discussion is Happening in Social Media!
Producers have the most credibility and need to get involved.
Obtain a dedicated Gmail account- use your real name.
Sign up for facebook, twitter, instagram, pintrest, etc.
Get a blog space on blogspot.com or wordpress.
Answer questions in comments sections of news articles.

11. How do we learn from our mistakes, from
social science, from psychology, to better
communicate what we do?
How do we become trusted sources?
How do we do this effectively?

12. Know a Few Central Core Concepts
Humans have always participated in plant genetic improvement.
Genetic Engineering is a precise extension of conventional plant
breeding.
“The techniques used pose no more risk (actually less risk) than
conventional breeding.” (NAS, AAAS, AMA, EFSA many others)
In the 18 years these products have been used, there has not been
one case of illness or death related to these products
In the USA there are several traits used in only 8 (- +) commercial
crops, with risks and benefits.

13. HOMEWORK:
Watch LICENSE TO FARM.

14. Relativenumberinpopulation
Relative scientific understanding
Nonexperts
Farmers,
scientists,
Etc.
MOST PEOPLE!!!!
FEAR FACTS

15. LOGOS PATHOS
ETHOS

16. LOGOS PATHOS
ETHOS
Start with ETHOS to
establish common ground
Use LOGOS to provide
evidence
Use PATHOS to reinforce
and visualize

17. State your larger priorities up front
FarmersAnimal Welfare
The NeedyFood Safety
Environment
Consumers

18. Augment shared values with
personalize your message.
Tell your story. Start with
your concerns. Why do
you do what you do?
Talk about points that
everyone can agree upon
Refer to your family, your
personal goals.

19. Glyphosate resistant and insect resistant
crops, while helpful to farmers, do not win
the hearts and minds of the general public
These are not “Big Ag” technologies!
Win back emotional capital with lost
opportunities – Where did we fail to address
our shared values?

20. More Barriers: Avoid these Mistakes
Avoid “feed the world” rhetoric
Always discuss strengths and limitations
Don’t ever claim it is a single solution.
Don’t discount all facets of “organic” ag, discuss common
goals
Don’t criticize other forms of genetic improvement…

21. Our farmers are the solution.
Jennie Schmidt
Brian Scott
Sarah Schultz

22. Work Smart
Speak to your strengths
Talk about what you know on your operation
Know when to disconnect
Don’t lose your cool
Recognize the concerned and the difficult

23. Creating the Change You Want to See
Stick to your strengths
Learn the things you don’t understand
Chime in. We need you.

24. What Plant Genetic Improvement Is
More varieties
Grow better under
given conditions
Improved yields
Safer products
Improved nutrtion

25. What Plant Genetic Improvement Is
People t hink
Improved yields

26. Why Do We Need to Genetically Improve Plants?
Native plants have little/no food value
Many plants produce toxins
Plants don’t survive well in cultivation
Adjustments of genetics can help plants adapt to
human need

27. Humans have always manipulated crop genetics

29. A new variety is like a needle in a haystack

30. What about geneticWhat about genetic
engineering?engineering?

31. • Why do we need genetic engineering?
We can move genes/traits, that we cannot move by
breeding and selection.
Allows us to solve problems
that have no other solution,
and have positive effects on
the environment.
Recombinant human insulin, 1983
Papaya Ringspot Virus, 1998

32. • Why do we need genetic engineering?
We can move genes/traits, that we cannot move by
breeding and selection.
Move traits much more
rapidly than breeding
Recombinant chymosin in cheese

33. GM Crops Available Now
10
potato
apple

34. What are the Three Main Traits?
Virus Resistance
Insect Resistance
Herbicide Resistance
Google “Biotechnology Literacy Day” if you
are interested in mechanisms

35. State your larger priorities up front
FarmersAnimal Welfare
The NeedyFood Safety
Environment
Consumers

36. Who’s technology is this?
Technology exists TODAY that can:
-Provide needed micronutrients to hungry populations
-Add virus resistance to key crops in the developing world
-Help plants grow in changing climates and weather extremes,
such as heat, drought, flooding, cold.
-Plants that protect themselves from pests, cutting need for
insecticides
-Why don’t we use them?
Success Stories (We Can’t Use)

37. Golden Rice
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Opposition to golden rice cost $2 billion to
farmers in developing countries and 1.4
million human years – Wesseler et al., 2014

38. Cassava
Virus Resistant Cassava (VIRCA)
Biocassava Plus (BC Plus)
250 million depend on cassava
50 million tons lost to virus.
X
X Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

39. Golden Bananas Beta carotene producing
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

40. Bacterial Wilt in Bananas
>70% of carbohydrate calories for
some areas
GM trials in Uganda
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
X

41. Hypoallergenic Peanuts
Peanut – RNAi suppression Ara h2
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

42. GE chickens do not pass on Avian Influenza
Episode 007
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
X
X
X
X Animal welfare

43. AquaBounty Salmon – attains market weight in less time.
Salmon may be farmed on inland pools, generating high protein food
on fewer inputs.
Episode 008
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
X
X
X
X Wild populations

44. Low Acrylamide, non Browning Potatoes
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

45. BS2 Tomato
A pepper gene in tomato eases black spot and wilt.
X
X Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

46. Stopping Citrus Greening
Spinach defensin
NPR1
Lytic peptides
Many show promise
Earliest deregulation is
2019

47. Gene editing
CRISPR/Cas9
Generates the
same outcome
as traditional
breeding, just
fast.
Coming soon!

48. Gene Editing
Horn Gene Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Good beef
Bad milkHORNS!!!
Bad beef
Great milk

49. Gene Editing
Horn Gene Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Good beef
Bad milkHORNS!!!
Bad beef
Great milk
Cross….
Mix of bad beef, bad milk production

50. Gene Editing
Horn Gene Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Good beef
Bad milkHORNS!!!
Bad beef
Great milk
Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Bad beef
Good milk

51. Conclusions

52. Thank you
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com
My funding: arabidopsisthaliana.com/funding.html
kfolta@ufl.edu
Dr. Norman Borlaug