Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 12/22/2003

**GAIN Report Number:** BK3015

BK3015

**Bosnia-Hercegovina**

**Biotechnology**

**Consumer Perceptions**

**2003**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Sarah Hanson

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Sanela Stanojocic

**Report Highlights:**

Consumers think that they don't have enough information to be pro or
against biotech products, and that they need more information in order
to decide whether or not they'll consume them. More information could
change consumer attitudes towards biotechnology in a positive direction.
Additionally, more knowledgeable consumers say they would eat biotech
foods after proper testing and labeling.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Vienna \[AU1\]

\[BK\]

[Consumer Perceptions of Biotech Products]{.underline}

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) annually imports around 70% of its food
needs, and the general opinion is that imported food is low quality.
Most consumers have lost total confidence in local authorities regarding
controlling and testing of imported food products. This is due to
constant rumors and media articles about importing "garbage from Europe
and from the rest of the World that nobody else wants", or "BiH being
unable to test imported foods," or for example, when "meat intended for
disposal was processed into sausages and other products in BiH". People
believe more and more that locally produced foods are the best quality.
This could be one of the reasons why people generally dislike biotech
products. Other reasons include:

-   Biotechnology means interfering with "God's work" and changing
    nature,

-   We don't need biotech foods, we can produce enough food in BiH,
    farmers just need more support,

-   Biotech foods are carcinogenic, dangerous in many ways (some
    consumers are unable to say why),

-   Biotechnology could threaten BiH's organic production; if BiH starts
    growing it, nobody would buy our food any more in Europe.

Officially, BiH is not producing any biotech products. Unofficially,
biotech products are already being imported and grown in the country,
since BiH was unable to control its borders for a long time after the
war ended, and BiH was also unable to test the biotech presence in foods
and seeds.

###### What Could be done to Change Consumer Attitudes

Advanced consumers think that they don't have enough information to be
pro or against biotech products, and that they need more education in
order to decide whether or not they'll consume them. More information
could change consumer attitudes towards biotechnology in a positive
direction. Additionally, more knowledgeable consumers say they would eat
biotech foods after proper testing and labeling, so they could decide
whether they want to buy such a product. The local authorities in charge
of food wholesomeness and quality should earn consumers confidence
again. Educating scientists is important, and educating the media is
even more important since they are affecting and creating public opinion
more than anything else (consumers usually believe the media more than
the scientists).

Note: USDA soymeal and corn donations initially met stiff government
resistance. One high level Ministry of Agriculture official confused BSE
(mad cow disease) and biotech by stating in a national television
interview, "I'd rather go hungry than become crazy from eating GMO
corn!"