International agribusiness companies in the country have taken to social media platforms to ease public fears over genetically modified products and inform the public about GM science.
Representing 13 international biotechnology companies, Croplife International is one of the trade associations that opened social media accounts on Sina Weibo and Tencent WeChat to interact with the Chinese public and answer questions about genetically modified food products.
In an official statement, the association said that Croplife is among those being encouraged by the central government to popularize GM science in China. Aside from desensitizing the public about genetically modified products, the Chinese government also called on such companies and organizations to educate the masses about such products.
An increased presence in social media platforms may be the answer to ease the worries of the public over the safety of GM food products. This is only in time as China plans to increase research and safety management of such goods, as was stated in the first policy document released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
As of now, agribusiness companies and the like can't market GM food products effectively due to public misconceptions and disapproval. To promote genetically modified products, said Chen Xiwen of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, public misconceptions about GM products must be changed.
"We have seen that the government has made their voices heard and the scientists as well [over the safety of GM foods]. We the enterprises need to play a part in this process," said Gao Yong, director of Asia Corporate Affairs at Monsanto Co.
Like Croplife International, Monsanto also launched accounts on Weibo and WeChat in March to spread GM product awareness.
It could take a long time, however, to transform public opinion about the safety of GM food products, according to researcher Huang Dafang from the Biotechnology Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
"Many would rather believe the rumors because they have no channels to the right knowledge. Thus we need to make the science easily accessible to them," he said.