HOW IS WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY PERCEIVED IN WESTERN EUROPE? Fabio Terragni CERISS – Milano...

HOW IS WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY PERCEIVED IN WESTERN

EUROPE?

Fabio TerragniCERISS – Milano

Bioperspective, Wiesbaden 11 May 2005 BREW Symposium

White Biotechnology

An Emerging Platform for Industrial Products and Processes

One of the aims of the BREW Project

is to evaluate

public perception and likely public acceptance

of biotechnological production of bulk chemicals form renewable

resources

Fabio Terragni, CERISS BREW SYMPOSIUM Wiesbaden, May 11th

No previous systematic analysis on the public perception of White Biotechnology. Possible references are:

EUROBAROMETERS on biotechnology: general public opinion polls (91, 93, 96, 99 AND 2002) exploring KNOWLEDGE, SUPPORT, RISK PERCEPTION, MORAL ACCEPTABILITY, PERCEIVED USEFULNESS of biotech application in EU countries. Among the results:

• CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEDICAL (red, generally accepted) AND AGROFOOD APPLICATIONS (green, generally disputed); • VERY FEW SPECIFIC DATA ON WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY (GM ENZYMES FOR SOAP PRODUCTION): NO SUBSTANTIAL OPPOSITION


Another reference, at national level, is

KASSEL 2002: an on field survey on 600 consumers in KASSEL on BDP – BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS – for food packaging. Amongst the results:

- 90% SUPPORT REPLACING CONVENTIONAL WITH COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS;

- 80% EVALUATE BDP QUALITY AS EITHER GOOD OR VERY GOOD;

- 87% WOULD BUY IT AGAIN;

- 1/3 WILLING TO PAY A SURCHARGE FOR A COMPOSTABLE BAG.



Existing data indirectly referable to White Biotechnology suggested:

- the lack of prejudicial opposition and

- a possible positive perception by the general public.

More info needed, even is must be considered that BREW products are not intended to be addressed to the final consumer.



Three classes of factors potentially influencing the public perception have been identified:

1. Environmental impact and ethical considerations

2. Socioeconomic and macroeconomic effects

3. Impact of eventual incidents



TO RANK THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF FACTORS POTENTIALLY INFLUENCING PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF WHITE

BIOTECHNOLOGY WE USED “EXPERTS” EVALUATION.

A QUESTIONNAIRE HAS BEEN SENT TO MORE THAN 300 EXPERTS IN NOVEMBER 2004

IN THE SAMPLE WE INCLUDED THE FOLOWING CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS:

RESEARCH INDUSTRY

NGOs POLICYMAKERS



DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE(high answer rate: 16%)

Distribution by country (N = 58)

0 5 10 15 20

Germany

Belgium

Netherlands

France

UK

Denmark

Switzerland

Austria

Ireland

Finland

Italy

Sweden



A SAMPLE OF PROFESSIONALS

A PROXY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Distribution by type of organisation

0 5 10 15 20 25

Researchinstitute

governmentalorganisation

Company

NGO

Industrialassociation

Other



SUSTAINABILITYAssessment of the sustainability of a group of technologies

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Sustainable

Can become if improved

Not sustainable

N.A



CONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY VS. BIOTECHNOLOGICAL

PRODUCTIONBulk chemicals from biomass or fossil

fuels?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Frombiomass

Fromfossil fuels

both DK NA

Nowadays

In the future



REASONS TO PREFER EACH OPTION

Reasons to prefer production of bulk

chemicals from biomass only(more than one option allowed)

0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1 1,2

Other

Technical

Geopolitical

Economic

Environmental

Nowadays

In the future

Reasons to prefer production of bulk chemicals from fossil feedstock (nowadays )

(more than one option allowed)

0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1

Other

Technical

Geopolitical

Economic

Environmental



Reasons to prefer production of bulk chemicals from both biomass and fossil fuels feedstock

(more than one option allowed)

0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1

Other

Technical

Geopolitical

Economic

Environmental

nowadays

In the future



ATTITUDES TO POSSIBLE RISKS

Do you think the risks of biotechnological production of chemicals from biomass will be effectively

managed?

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

NA

DK

No

I'm sceptical it can be achieved

It depends

I'm confident it can be achieved

Yes, sure



PERCEIVED ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

Will the biotechnological production of bulk chemicals from biomass become an important area for innovation and

economic growth in the next 30 years?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Yes No D.K. N.A.

Will the biotechnological production of bulk chemicals from biomass

revitalise the petrochemical industry and contribute to its international

competitiveness in the next 30 years?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Yes No D.K. N.A.



EXPLORING VIEWS OF COMPETING TECHNOLOGICAL

OPTIONS THIS SECTION COMPARES 4 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

FOR BULK CHEMICAL PRODUCTION:

A) SYNTHESIS FROM FOSSIL FEEDSTOCK (CONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY)

B) BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION BY NATURALLY OCCURRING BACTERIA (BACTERIA)

C) BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION BY GENETICALLY MODIFIED BACTERIA (GM BACTERIA)

D) SYNTHESIS IN GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS (GM PLANTS)



The first 10 criteria by importance are the following:

1. Helps to achieve climate protection goals… 2. Is likely to perform better … regarding key environmental impacts … 3. Contributes to saving fossil resources4. Strengthens long-term international competitiveness…. 5. Has low production costs6 . Is economically attractive … 7. Reduces the country’s dependency on fossil resources… 8. Helps to make industrial chemical production more sustainable9. Safe use of GMOs … 10. Serves customers’ and consumers’ preferences…

‘Environmental’ criteria (1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10) turn out to be the most relevant, followed by ‘economic’ (4, 5, 6) and ‘geopolitical’ criteria (7).

Fabio Terragni, CERISS BREW SYMPOSIUM Wiesbaden, May 11thFabio Terragni, CERISS BREW SYMPOSIUM Wiesbaden, May 11th

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

RANKING OF TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS ACCORDING TO PERSONAL ASSESSMENT

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

conventionalchemistry

bacteria GM bacteria GM plants

1

2

3

4



To avoid excessive “professional” bias due, the sample has been split between ‘industry’ and ‘others’.

Main differences:

- ‘industry’ more reluctant to short-run shift from oil to biomass-based production (opposed 48% vs. 16%)

- more emphasis on economic vs. environmental criteria

- ranking of technological options (most favoured option):

fossil industry 0% others 0%bacteria industry 33% others 60%gm bacteria industry 42% others 40%gm plants industry 25% others 0%


DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS


CONCLUSIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES REPRESENT THE MOST IMPORTANT SET OF FACTORS INFLUENCING PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF BULK CHEMICALS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES

WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY IS PERCEIVED AS A SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY WHILE OIL-BASED PRODUCTS ARE PERCEIVED AS UNSUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN AND TO BE REPLACED



CONCLUSIONS



AS IN OTHER BIOTECH SURVEYS

A PERCEIVED SOCIAL USEFULNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PERCEPTION OF RISKS

OUR SURVEY INDICATES A CLEAR OPTIMISM TOWARD THE MANAGEMENT OF POSSIBLE “INDUSTRIAL” RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT (EVEN GM BACTERIA ARE NOT PERCEIVED AS DANGEROUS)

CONCLUSIONS



EVEN POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES LINKED TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES ARE PERCEIVED AS RELATIVELY LESS RELEVANT

CONFIRMED ALSO BY THE LOW RESPONSE RATE FROM FARMERS’ ORGANISATIONS

ANYWAY A CLEAR PREFERENCE FOR NATURALLY OCCURRING PLANTS IS EXPRESSED BY NON INDUSTRY RESPONDENTS

CONCLUSIONS



EVEN IF NOWADAYS TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL FACTORS ARE PERCEIVED AS A BARRIER TO THE INTRODUCTION OF BULK CHEMICALS PRODUCTION FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES

THERE ARE POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTE OF WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

CONCLUSIONS



FINALLY

A RELATIVELY LOW IMPORTANCE OF GEOPOLITICAL FACTORS

IN INFLUENCING PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF BULK CHEMICALS PRODUCTION FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES SEEMS TO EMERGE FROM THE STUDY

Aknowledgements

Elena Recchia, CERISSBaerbel Hüsing, FgH - ISI

Martin Patel, Utrecht University

THANK YOU

[email protected]

Fabio Terragni, CERISS BREW SYMPOSIUM Wiesbaden, May 11thFabio Terragni, CERISS BREW SYMPOSIUM Wiesbaden, May 11th

HOW IS WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY PERCEIVED IN WESTERN EUROPE? Fabio Terragni CERISS – Milano...

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