Harris Interactive | The Harris Poll - Genetically Modified Foods: An Issue Waiting To Explode?

THE HARRIS POLL #33, June 28, 2000

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS: AN ISSUE WAITING TO EXPLODE?

PLURALITY BELIEVES RISKS OUTWEIGH BENEFITS

HUGE MAJORITY FAVORS MANDATORY LABELING

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by Humphrey Taylor

The companies producing genetically engineered crops and seeds, the farms which grow them, and the food companies that sell genetically modified (GM) foods may soon be in for a big shock. A new Harris Poll suggests that this is an issue, which could explode at any time.

Until now the producers of genetically engineered seeds, the farmers, and the packaged foods companies have watched in shock and confusion as many people in Europe and many other countries have rejected, and protested against, GM foods. Corporate America has comforted itself with the belief that Americans are different, more sensible and not particularly concerned. They are only half right. Only one in seven (15%) adults Americans have taken much interest in the issue so far; so the great majority of the public are certainly not much concerned about it – yet. But that does not mean that most people are complacent about GM foods, or have consciously accepted of the risks. They have not. They just haven’t given the issue much thought.

When asked about them most adults believe GM crops will "upset the balance of nature and upset the environment." A clear plurality believes that the risks of growing GM crops outweigh the benefits. And by a huge 7-to-1 majority, most people believe that the government should require the labeling of all packaged and other food products that use GM crops – something, which the food and agribusiness industries strongly oppose.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,015 adults surveyed by telephone between June 8^th and 12^th.

Key findings of the survey include:

Only 15% of the public say they have seen, read or heard "a lot" about genetically engineered (GM) foods and only (16%) have seen heard or read "a lot" about genetically engineered plants and crops. However majorities (57% and 58%) say they have heard a lot or "some" about GM food and plants.
The public is split on whether or not GM food "will be poisonous or cause diseases in people who eat them." 45% believe this is very or somewhat likely and 47% think this not very or not at all likely.
A 66% to 29% majority believes it is likely that GM plants and crops will lead to increased agricultural production.

A 56% to 33% majority believes it likely that GM plants and crops will "upset the balance of nature and damage the environment."

A 52% to 42% majority believes it is unlikely that GM crops will make food less expensive.

By 86% to 13%, a huge majority favors government-mandated labeling of GM foods.
A clear, but not huge, 48% to 38% plurality believes that the risks of GM crops and foods outweigh the benefits

SO WHAT?

What these survey data suggest is that while few people in this country – unlike Europe – have paid much attention to GM foods as yet, it is quite likely that opposition to GM food could grow very rapidly if anything happens to make it an issue. If I were advising the GM food industry and agribusiness’s (which I am not) I would strongly advise them to change their position. They should strongly support the labeling of GM foods. Their opposition to the labeling of GM foods could easily be interpreted as their being unwilling to level with, and trust, the people. Much better to call for what the public wants rather than to fight against it and, in all probability, lose that fight. But Corporate America often manages to shoot itself in the foot and it looks set to do so again.

TABLE 1

SEEN, READ OR HEARD ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD OR GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PLANTS/CROPS

Base: All Adults

"How much have you seen, read, or heard about new (item) – a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?

--Genetically modified foods
--Types of plants and crops which have been genetically engineered?"

	GM Foods %	GM plants/crops %
A Lot	15	16
Some	42	42
Not Much	28	27
Nothing At All	14	14
Not Sure/Refused	1	1

TABLE 2

LIKELIHOOD THAT GM PLANTS/CROPS WILL HAVE VARIOUS CONSEQUENCES

Base: All Adults

"How likely do you think it is that the following will happen because of the use of new types of plants and crops developed by genetic engineering – very, somewhat, not very, or not at all likely?"

	Very Likely %	Somewhat Likely %	Not Very Likely %	Not At All Likely %	Not Sure/ Refused %
Food based on these new crops will be poisonous or cause diseases in people who eat them	14	31	22	25	7
Agricultural production will increase	29	37	16	13	6
They will upset the balance of nature and damage the environment	25	31	22	15	6
They will make food less expensive than it would be otherwise	14	28	23	29	6

TABLE 3

SHOULD GOVERNMENT REQUIRE LABELING OF GM FOODS?

Base: All Adults

"Do you think the government should require the labeling of all packaged and other food products stating that they include corn, soy or other products which have come from genetically modified crops, or is that not important?"

	Total %
Government should require	86
Not important	13
Not sure/Refused	1

TABLE 4

DO BENEFITS OF GM PLANTS/CROPS OUTWEIGH RISKS?

Base: All Adults

"Overall do you think the benefits of developing and growing these new plants and crops outweigh the risks of doing this, or do you think the risks out weigh the benefits?"

	Total %	How much have you seen/read/heard about GM foods?
	Total %	A lot %	Some %	Not Much %	None %
Benefits outweigh the risks	38	36	47	28	31
Risks outweigh the benefits	48	53	39	56	51
Not sure/Refused	14	10	14	16	1

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted by telephone within the United States between June 8-12, 2000, among a nationwide cross section of 1,015 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors, so the words "margin of error" should be avoided when reporting all survey data.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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