Public Perception of Biotech Crops in Indonesia

The Indonesian Biotechnology Information Center (INDOBIC) conducted a survey to understand the public understanding, perception, and attitude of Indonesian stakeholders on agri-biotechnology. A total of 450 respondents from West Java, Central Java, and East Java were interviewed, including consumers, producers, extension workers, community leaders, religious leaders, and scientists. The survey was conducted from June to August 2020.

Results of the survey showed the following:

• The public's knowledge of biotechnology was still very limited. This was because none of the products are truly officially commercialized in Indonesia. Therefore, the debates that arose are limited to the academic and NGO scope only. 
• The stakeholders have low exposure to information regarding agricultural biotechnology; however, when they access the information, they do so through social media and interpersonal communication. 
• All the stakeholders have favorable perceptions and attitudes toward agricultural biotechnology, but with limited knowledge because only about 20.8% said that they would purchase the product. This may imply that the benefits they are aware of are not strong enough for them to be convinced to consume the products.
• Scientists from universities are the most trusted source of information among the stakeholders. All the stakeholders, including the scientists, believe that they are moderately knowledgeable of agricultural science and biotechnology. 
• The stakeholder groups that have consistently shown interest and concern for agricultural biotechnology are policymakers, scientists, and farmers.

With these results, the authors recommended more communication initiatives to promote the use of biotech products, with emphasis on their safety and benefits to nutrition and food security. 

For more details, contact Dewi Suryani at catleyavanda@gmail.com.

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