Within its activities, Biotech4Food seeks to create synergies with other similar EU projects. One of these is the B-Trust project, a project whose goal is to develop a transparent governance model that promotes the application of biotechnology in the agri-food and bio-based sectors. This governance model will facilitate better-informed decision-making, foster collective awareness and acceptance of biotechnological solutions, encourage social engagement, and support biotechnological innovation within bio-based systems.
One of the partners of the B-Trust project is Alice down the rabbit hole, an expert in consumer involvement and participatory processes in research, innovation and product development. Alice implements a co-creative approach, based on a design thinking methodology, focusing on the user to come to better solutions, while also listening to the visions, solutions and needs of the other stakeholders involved.
Innov’Alliance interviewed Alice down the rabbit hole in order to gain insights into the role of co-creation in building trust in biotechnology.
Innov’ Alliance: The use of biotechnologies in various industries is not new, but the subject still creates fear among some consumers. Why is this?
Alice down the rabbit hole: Part of this issue comes from the older generations, how they look at biotech. Of course, biotech is broad, and maybe that’s the first thing that we have to say. Everything related to fermentation is also biotech, and people are accepting of fermentation when it comes to beer, winemaking, but also bread and chocolate.
Innov’ Alliance: According to your research, how do consumers perceive biotechnologies? How important is it to involve consumers upstream and work in collaboration with them?
Alice down the rabbit hole: The wording, of course, is important. Nowadays, we tend to talk more about precision fermentation rather than GMOs [relative to the subject of biotechnologies]. In the realm of biotechnology, wording such as ‘genetically modified’ creates fear, but ‘precision fermentation’ less so, because consumers can think about fermentation as a natural technique that has been used for several thousands of years. It is also important to explain what ‘precision fermentation’ is, re-frame it – and that’s what we are doing in the B-Trust project.
We really involve consumers, citizens, but also other stakeholders, such as farmers who are often highly impacted by the implementation of these biotechnological solutions. We involve them in the research and product development process, listening to them, asking them, “How do you understand this?”, “How do you see this?”, “What are your fears?”, “After having explained the technique, what advantages do you now perceive?”. We involve them in an inclusive way, in a co-creative process – to implement these technologies with bottom-up approach.
Innov’ Alliance: How does the consumer play a central role in the development of (food) biotechnologies? What is at stake in the continued development of biotechnologies?
Alice down the rabbit hole: Consumers play a central role in the development of biotechnological solutions for the agri-food and bio-based sectors because, ultimately, they will be the ones consuming the crops, consuming the products. Or, when it comes to farmers, and agriculture-related biotech solutions, they will be the end users of these products.
Innov’ Alliance: What are the levers for getting consumers to accept biotechnologies?
Alice down the rabbit hole: The main one is creating awareness – this can be done in various ways, and of course co-creation workshops are one of these ways. You have to listen to your stakeholders, assess how they perceive risks and benefits, figure out narratives that resonate, etc. You also provide a lot of information, discuss through the concerns relative to this information, and talk about what can be done. The main goal of the programme, of the B-Trust project, is to foster trust.
Trust is truly important when introducing new technologies – you develop and implement a technology because of what it can do, especially when you’re making more sustainable products – and having consumers involved from the start means your process is more targeted and focused. This is what Alice down the rabbit hole stands for – truly involving consumers and other stakeholders, and creating a level playing field.
For more information and insights from the full interview, contact: Solen Webb (Innov’Alliance).
