NEWS: Genetically Modified Food: How to Market a Slim-Fast Formula
Agbioworld
By Tawanda Zidenga
February 8, 2007
Excerpt…
I derive considerable fascination from following the debate on genetically modified foods. In a peculiar sort of way, this debate reflects some unsettling things about our society.
The marketing of the idea that GMOs carry within them an inherent evil has been impressively marketed. Almost all of my friends who are not in the sciences have misgivings of one form or another on this "unnatural" process. In America, GMOs are blamed for making people fat, and a recent article posted on this forum spoke of the low "intelligence" of GM foods and how badly these foods "confuse our bodies."
Marketed alongside this idea is the idea that anything that is natural (by whatever definition of the advertiser) is healthy and good for the environment. The latter has been so well marketed that it has found its way in the creation of "politically correct" policies. Not surprisingly, some donor agencies have followed suit, streamlining their activities to remain outside public controversy.
One such example is the support of marker assisted selection (MAS) in Africa and not transgenic crop improvement. As far as I can see, the difference between MAS and transgenics, in as far as funding is concerned, is one of political correctness. Political correctness and the truth are…not one and the same thing. So we find that even though there are many projects that are classified under "sustainable development", only a few are really sustainable.
So, how does this marketing work, and why is it working? You cannot market a slim-fast formula unless you make people feel fat. In fact, you make people feel fat, then you make them scared of the consequences of being fat, real or imagined. Then while at it, you hint at the benefits of getting slim using your method.
In his book State of Fear, Michael Crichton brought out the issue of how modern societies are profiteering on fear. In other words, if I make you terrified of "apples with fish genes spliced into them", I will give you the alternative of organic produce. I will tell you, for what it's worth, that I have grown food close to sacred mother nature. Your fear makes its way to my bank account. The hypnosis within the word "natural" is unimaginable. Man's control of nature is always pictured as an evil. But no one points out that a certain level of controlling nature is necessary for our continued survival and comfort. We take it for granted, but now we can keep warm in a bad winter and stay cool in a scotching summer. We have methods of efficiently producing food that allow the rest of us to stay in cities or stand outside other people's labs raising placards, while a small percentage of people are farming. We can now fight disease better than decades ago, and we are improving every day. But of course, if I am doing my marketing, I will tell you what sells my product.
Some people market goods, some people market ideas; others market belief systems. We have come to a crossroad in the modern society where we are no longer sure whether some things are just beliefs or substantiated facts - on DDT, GMOs, organic food etc. But then again, good marketing sometimes comes when you make this difference as vague as possible.
