Genome Edited Foods

What was the challenge?

The UK’s departure from the EU will bring a number of changes to many different aspects of life for people across the country. One area that the UK government intends to drive change is in gene editing, or precision breeding techniques in food, and in Autumn 2020 the government committed to consulting the public on The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA’s) future GE food policy.

To ensure that the public have a voice in any future changes to government policies which may affect the food they eat, we worked with global leaders in research and dialogue Ipsos MORI on a public research programme commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to explore and understand consumer views of gene edited food, and in particular to gain an insight into the acceptability, regulation and concerns that the public may have. 

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What did we do?

To enliven discussions and encourage expansive thinking within public research workshops, we devised a series of fictional food products and printed objects which approached the topic in unique and focused ways. 

The products we designed replicated a wide range of food and drink items people commonly interact with on a daily basis. From everyday essentials and supermarket snacks to luxury produce and restaurant menus, we embedded differing levels of information on gene editing within the design and language.

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Across the range of products, we brought to life several different ways gene editing could be represented or labelled. From the subtle use of symbols on a packet of ground coffee, to presenting gene editing in the context of health benefits on a box of muesli, to the labelling on a beer can extolling the benefits of genetic editing in relation to reduced harm to the environment.

Used as part of the public research workshops, the examples helped to bring to life how people’s decisions are affected by what they see on products, and helped participants to connect more deeply in discussions around gene editing in food. 

Eighty participants from across the country received a personal food hamper to explore as part of four deliberative workshops run by Ipsos MORI. The objects helped to engage participants both digitally and physically, and linked the online community and virtual workshops to items which could be interacted with at home. The project formed part of Ipsos MORI’s nationwide survey on gene editing, and the research from this project will help to inform the FSA’s future changes in policy and communication with consumers about gene editing in food.

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