Development of Communication Strategies for Agri-biotech Adoption in Asia

A workshop on the development of communication strategies for adoption of agribiotechnology in Asia was held at Dusit Island Resort in Chiang Rai, Thailand on September 28-29, 2015. Forty-five participants, mainly scientists and researchers, from 18 countries attended the workshop co-organized by Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), ISAAA, Asia Pacific Consortium for Agricultural Biotechnology (APCAOB) and Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC). The workshop aimed to examine the issues, understand the challenges, share experiences, and recommend communication strategies that can assist in the faster adoption of GM technology in the region.

Dr. Alongkorn Kornthong, Deputy Director General, Department of Agriculture, Thailand, officiated the meeting and stressed the importance of exploring new ideas and sharing of experiences among countries and in imploring other countries that have not yet adopted biotechnology for agricultural development. 

Break-out sessions were held to discuss challenges and strategies in agribiotechnology communications for different stakeholders such as politicians, policy makers, media, farmers, and private sector.

Dr. Craig Cormick, an Australian science communicator said that segmentation studies of the public will provide greater insights into the different attitudes to science. He stressed that there is not one 'public', and that communicators should think of different publics by the different values that define them and the communication strategies must be aligned with their values.

For more details about the event, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.