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Stock-taking report: food biotechnology communication materials in the world

Background paper for the 2020 technical consultation meetings on developing a communication toolkit about food biotechnologies









FAO. 2020. Stock-taking report: food biotechnology communication materials in the world -  Background paper for the 2020 technical consultation meetings on developing a communication toolkit about food biotechnologies. Rome. 




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    Book (stand-alone)
    Handbook - using the information toolkit
    Information toolkit on food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety
    2021
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    A number of questions and concerns about food biotechnologies have been raised, and governments are expected to address them in an effective and timely manner. However, providing science-based but easy-to-digest answers requires a certain level of understanding of the subject and good communication skill sets, therefore preparedness is key. During the Global Community Meeting of the FAO GM Foods Platform in 2019, the strong need for a set of science-based information materials was expressed at a global level to support the generation of communication strategies and materials which could help to address the public communication challenges surrounding food biotechnologies at a national level. The present FAO Information toolkit on food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety serves as a basis to assist countries in addressing the general public’s concerns on food biotechnology and food safety, to support them in raising awareness of the science of food biotechnologies and food safety and to inform discussions and decisions. It consists of one handbook providing an instruction manual for the whole set of documents and ten booklets, referred to as tools, and which cover background information, general information on the scientific aspects of food biotechnologies and food safety, the rationale behind the claimed benefits of genetically modified (GM) foods, GM food safety assessments and regulations. The tools also touch upon aspects related to human health and the environment, the practical uses and applications, the recent developments and innovations, possibilities to engage with the public.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Developing a communication toolkit on food biotechnologies
    Proceedings of the 2020 technical consultation meetings
    2020
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    Technical consultation meetings on developing a communication toolkit about food biotechnologies were convened in 2020. At the first of the meetings, held on 11 and 12 June 2020, experts presented communications good practices and lessons learned from efforts to communicate information related to food biotechnologies to the general public at national and regional levels. The points raised were to be included in the toolkit as elements of effective communication from the design phase of the communication strategy to producing and disseminating communication products, as well as evaluating the communication efforts. Following the experts’ presentations, there were questions and discussions about the example materials that were drafted after the first technical consultation meetings covering the following 10 areas: i) FAO background and guidance, ii) fundamentals, iii) human health, iv) the environment, v) safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) foods, vi) regulations, vii) benefits, viii) practical uses and applications, ix) current innovations, and x) public engagements. Prior to the second set of meetings, held on 26 and 27 August 2020, draft example materials were circulated among the experts for their review. Based on their feedback, a plan was made to revise the draft materials. This was discussed at the meetings. The key elements that were identified were to be reflected in the revised example materials. The process to finalize the whole toolkit was to take place offline, but it would involve several discussions with relevant FAO internal teams, as necessary. The toolkit, which contains 51 social media suited materials along with a series of guiding documents, is intended for use by technical-level government officials within the competent authorities and ministries that are in charge of the safety assessment of foods derived from biotechnologies for communicating effectively with the general public.
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    Booklet
    Training on Genetically Modified (GM) food safety assessment, risk communication and advocacies programme in Bhutan
    Technical summary report
    2018
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    Upon the official request of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a national training workshop entitled “training on genetically modified (GM) food safety assessment, risk communication and advocacies programme” was co-organized by the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 23 – 27 July 2018 in Thimphu, Bhutan. The objectives of the workshop were to provide: 1) an understanding of the relevant rules and regulations concerning GMOs and GM products in Bhutan; 2) an understanding of the internationally accepted principles of GM food safety assessment, risk management and risk communication and information on challenges involved in enacting these principles; 3) an understanding of the required expertise and types of experts for undertaking GM food safety assessments so that possible shortcomings in assessment capacity/resources in Bhutan could be identified; 4) hands-on experience in extracting relevant safety information from condensed GM food case studies and presenting the information in a simple and concise way; 5) general information about biosafety and biotechnology in the international arena with particular emphasis on communication; and 6) a way forward for BAFRA to conduct any suggested follow up activities.

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