The research explored Canadians’ opinions towards emerging agricultural technologies including biotechnology, biofuels, gene-editing, and cellular agriculture. Previous waves were conducted in 2011 and 2016.
Methodology
This study included a national telephone survey (1,033 completed surveys) with Canadian adults aged 18 and older. The survey was conducted from June 25th to July 16th, 2021 in English and French.
Quorus also conducted a series of 10 online focus groups. Eight focus groups were completed with members of the general population located in four parts of Canada: Ontario/ Nunavut, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Western Canada/ Yukon/ Northwest Territories. In each of these regions, participants were segmented into two age groups: 18 to 34, and 35 years of age and older. The two remaining focus groups were dedicated to individuals living in official language minority communities (OLMC) in Ontario and Quebec. Data collection took place from December 8th to 15th, 2021.
Key findings
- Despite a low level of familiarity with biotechnology, support has reached an all-time high compared to previous waves of the study.
- An increasing proportion are confident in the regulation of biotechnology, and for the first time, a majority scored the regulatory process as strict.
- Despite fairly low familiarity, most Canadians support making biofuels with non-food sources.
- A minority say they are familiar with gene editing, and although less than half see it as beneficial to society, the proportion is increasing.
- Familiarity with cellular agriculture is very low, with focus group awareness nearly nonexistent or participants misidentifying it.
Biotechnology
- Familiarity with biotechnology is low. Only about half (52%, down 4%) of Canadians say they are familiar with biotechnology.
- Despite this low level of familiarity, support has reached an all-time high compared to previous waves of the study. Nearly eight in ten (79%, up 8%) say they support the use of products and processes that involve biotechnology.
Biotechnology regulatory system
- An increasing proportion (24%) are confident in the safety and regulation of biotechnology, and for the first time a majority scored the regulatory process as strict (57%).
- Familiarity with biotechnology is low and even less are familiar with how it is regulated (22%, down 1%).
Biofuels
- Despite fairly low familiarity (57%, up 3%), more than nine in ten (93%) Canadians support making biofuels with non-food sources. Support was lower, but rising, for biofuels made from non-food crops grown on land that could be used to produce food (60%, up 13%).
- More than 9 in 10 (93%) respondents support using non-food crops such as hemp to make clothing and the use of agricultural waste like straw to make packaging or chemicals. Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) of respondents support using food crops such as corn to make food packaging.
- An increasing proportion (58%) support making biofuels from crops that are also a source of food. Roughly 8 in 10 (80%) support making biofuels from non-food crops.
Gene-editing
- A minority (40%, up 6%) say they are familiar with gene-editing, and less than half (45%, up 7%) believe it is beneficial to society.
- Roughly 8 in 10 (86%) support using gene-editing for experimental treatments for cancer. The majority (85%) also support gene-editing for experimental treatments for sickle-cell disease. Support is also high (83%) for gene-editing used to create chemicals to be used in the production of bio-fuels.
- About 7 in 10 (73%) support gene editing to improve plants, such as disease and drought resistance. Almost 7 in 10 (69%) support gene-editing to improve animal health. Just over half (52%) support gene-editing to enhance animal welfare. Roughly 4 in 10 (44%) support gene-editing to produce fish that grow faster.
Cellular agriculture
- Familiarity with cellular agriculture is very low, less than a third (32%) say they are familiar. In the focus groups, awareness was nearly non-existent and those who said they were familiar often misidentified it.
- Roughly 4 in 10 (41%) say they believe cellular agriculture is beneficial to society.
- Canadians say they are less likely to support the use of cellular agriculture to create food products such as meat, milk, or eggs (47%) and are more likely to support its use to create non-food products such as leather (62%). Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Canadians agree that cellular agriculture will help produce more food to feed a growing global population.
