2015 Consumer Poll
Released: September 29, 2015, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network
The Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CBAN in August 2015 shows a high level of awareness and concern about genetically modified foods among Canadians:
- 71% of Canadians say they are aware about GM foods.
- 88% of Canadians want mandatory labelling of GM foods.
- Six in ten (59%) of Canadians oppose genetically modifying crops and animals to produce food, and one in three (34%) say they support it.
- 48% support a ban on all genetically modified food.
Of Canadians who want GM foods labeled:
- 87% just want to know what is in the food they are eating,
- 55% are concerned about safety,
- 47% are concerned about government transparency in regulation,
- 46% are concerned about corporate control,
- 46% think GM is not natural,
- 45% have environmental concerns,
- 30% have ethical concerns,
- 58% are concerned that not enough research has been done on the long-term health and environmental impacts.
Six in ten (57%) of Canadians are not confident in the government’s safety and regulatory systems for genetically modified foods.
On the genetically modified Atlantic salmon, almost half (45%) of Canadians said they would definitely not eat it and 11% said they would – 32% say maybe and 12% say they don’t know or did not have an opinion.
Canadians are also most likely to say no to eating the genetically modified non-browning apple that has been approved by Health Canada, but is not yet on supermarket shelves. Four in ten (38%) Canadians say they will definitely not eat it, compared to two in ten (20%) that say they would. Three in ten are on the fence (33%) and one in ten (9%) say they don’t know or don’t have an opinion.
