File photo. A third of New Zealanders surveyed backed genetic technology in food production, but nearly as many were opposed. Photo: 123RF
Research has found a third of New Zealanders surveyed were in support of using genetic technology in food production, but nearly as many of those questioned were opposed.
The survey of 1029 people was run by Primary Purpose, a research firm specialising in primary industries.
Attitudes on using genetic technologies in growing food were approximately split into thirds: 34 percent support, 31 percent opposition and 34 percent were unsure.
Primary Purpose founder Scott Champion said it was notable how many people, while holding views about GMOs (genetically modified organisms), did not know much about them. He said it was important to understand public perception ahead of new legislation on its use in New Zealand.
"I think that was one of the striking things when you put the group that don't know much or know nothing about GMOs it was 69 percent, so there's an understanding deficit.
"The combination of support for specific uses and the minority of outright opposition indicates that the public is at least cautiously open to considering genetic technologies in food production and there is a clear need to support the public's understanding of the area."
About 45 percent advocated for gradual steps towards any adoption of genetic technologies.
Survey respondents strongly supported using genetic technology to help control pests and disease that damage the natural environment (69 percent) and to help crops resist pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemicals and pesticides (68 percent).
They also supported genetic technology in improving drought resistance in crops (65 percent) and to increase the nutritional value of foods (62 percent).
Men were generally more supportive, while Māori respondents tended to be less supportive, he said.
The survey mirrors a primary industries panel discussion last week where there were mixed views on introducing GMO or genetically modified organisms into the primary industries.
The National Party has vowed to overhaul restrictions on genetic modification which were last amended 20 years ago.
Dairy company Southern Pastures chief executive Prem Man told the Primary Industries Summit in Wellington he had concerns over what GMO pastures would mean for trade.
"I think we need to be careful because our grass fed, free range product is our ... unique selling point and we can't run ahead because otherwise we'll be handing that over, our premium markets, to Ireland, our main competitor, on a silver platter.
"We've been told by two of our largest customers, and this is some of the biggest names in the world, that they will stop buying from New Zealand if we introduce GMO because it's far simpler for them for paperwork for compliance, for inspections, to just buy Irish."
Andrew Hoggard Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Grasslanz Technology John Caradus chief executive said New Zealand needed to take a serious look at GMO.
"We have an opportunity here to continue to look at adding benefit to pastoral agriculture through the use of genetic modification and gene editing.
"When you think back for 10,000 years mankind has been playing around with plants and has been manipulating them, do you realise there are 3000 cultivars that have come from unregulated mutagenesis using radiation and chemistry?
"And yet, here we have genetic modification, which we are constrained to using, not banned, but constrained, and yet it is well managed, it is targeted and it has been tested and shown to be safe."
Caradus said New Zealand needed to have this conversation based on evidence to determine whether this was a technology it wanted to be part of or not.
Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard said some key trading partners used GMO so it was time New Zealand played catch up.
"Certainly within my portfolio areas, you know there's a number of places where this technology could be put to good use for the betterment of the country.
"Biosecurity, you know, you only got to look at wilding pines, how can we make them sterile - stop them seeding? It's particularly useful in animal welfare, being able to use gene editing, so cows don't have horns, it means we don't have to do disbudding which is a painful procedure."
Hoggard said change was on the way but he did not allude to any timeframe.