A3B*Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 19,2002
Survey Reveals Consumers
(continued *rom Page A 1)
Yet when asked about GM
crops, what was the first thing
that “popped into their heads,”
said Hallman, when they heard
those terms? “One quarter of the
population has no idea what
you’re talking about. It’s a com
plete blank. Nothing comes to
(their) mind.”
Though they claim to imme
diately grasp the concept of GM
foods, and believe they are will
ing to use GM foods with direct
health benefits (such as Vitamin
A in rice to prevent blindness),
about 90 percent of the U.S.
population believe the “balance
of nature can easily be disrupted
using GM crops.” Fifty-eight
percent believe “we have no
business meddling with nature,
noted Hallman.
Thirty-five percent believe
we’d be “better if we did not do
GM at all,” Hallman said.
Eighty percent of the respon
dents agree that “humans are
fallible, there could be serious
consequences” using GM tech
niques, with mistakes “bound to
happen.”
Forty percent of Americans
believe that “most food in the
country is grown on the family
farm,” and that many believe
farming is a “noble, whole
some,” occupation. About 38
percent believe that farmers
have to “adopt GM to survive.”
Said Hallman, “It’s more
about the products of biotech
than the process of biotech that
will determine whether con
sumers will accept biotechnol
ogy products.”
Ninety percent believe GM
products should have special
labels, yet 48 percent said they
would not buy fresh vegetables
produced through genetic modi
fication.
In the end, most Americans
are “relatively uninformed
Md. Teen Crowned
(Continued from Page A 37)
public speaking, team
sales, graphic design,
and poster contests at
the National Junior
Angus Show.
In team sales she
won her first time in
competition. She was
also winner of a na
tional contest where
contestants analyzed
data to develop a
breeding program to
increase yearling
weight.
She has served as
vice president and
president of the Mary
land Junior Angus As
sociation.
She has been a
member of the Na
tional Junior Angus
Association since
1996. Last year she
qualified for junior as
sociation’s Silver
Award, the second
level of the organiza
tion’s Recognition
Program that began in
1972.
Cortney attends
nearby Howard Com
munity College, which
enables her to stay
close to home to take
care of the animals.
She is studying ele
mentary education but
is also interested in ag
riculture education.
Dr. William Hallman, as
sociate director of the Food
Policy Institute at Rutgers/
Cook College, spoke about
the public perception of ag
biotechnology.
about biotech,” said Hallman,
“and many are still making up
their minds.”
The Institute has recently
been rewarded a $2.5 million
grant from USD A to conduct a
study on “consumer response to
biotech.” The New Jersey Coop
erative Extension Service, in co
operation with the Institute, will
conduct the survey but they
need advice about which ques
tions to ask. Hallman noted that
those interested may contact
him at his e-mail. The survey
will be under way in about three
months. For more information
or to contribute questions, con
tact Hallman at (732) 932-1966,
ext. 3103.
New Jersey produce growers
now have a way to advertise, for
free, the products they sell.
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About 150 exhibitors and about 1,200 attendees visited the trade show at the New
Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor
Pegi Ballister-Howells,
New Jersey Farm Bureau,
spoke about the N.J. Pro
duce Growers Directory on
the Web.
According to Pegi Ballister-
Howells, New Jersey Farm
Bureau marketing consultant,
growers have a free opportunity
to sign up to list products grown
on the Website, which allows
N»«M>
users to select for particular
crops and provides them with
specific information.
The site is located at
www.njfb.org/directory.
The New Jersey Farm Bureau
received matching grants worth
about $20,000 to “put this to
gether at no charge to any New
Jersey farmer who wants to par
ticipate,” said Ballister-Howells.
The form can be filled out on
the Website or can be obtained
directly from Farm Bureau and
mailed in.
The Vegetable Growers’ Asso
ciation of New Jersey has about
Mm
s in
s>
*
1,500 members. About 154 ex
hibitors attended the three-day
show from Tuesday through
Thursday.
According to Phil Traino, as
sociation secretary, growers
from all over the Mid-Atlantic
and Northeast attended the pop
ular event in Atlantic City, in
cluding those from the Eastern
Shore, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, and New York.
More event coverage is sched
uled for an upcoming issue of
Lancaster Farming’s Grower &
Marketer section.