Ag-West and other supporters of the government's existing framework also want to ensure that the focus of government regulations remains on the product, not on the process. They need not be grouped or treated differently than other products regulated by government. Recent consumer research by Dr. Thomas J. Hoban, an Associate Professor and Extension Sociologist at North Carolina State University, tends to validate the notion of regulating the product, not the production process. It also supports the contention that mandatory labeling of agbiotech products is not perceived as important to consumers. Dr. Hoban measured consumer acceptance of food produced through biotechnology.
Consumers are primarily concerned with taste, cost, nutritional value, safety and convenience.
According to Hoban, whether or not a product is produced through biotechnology is not important to the vast majority of consumers. Ag-West Biotech supports the existence of a safe and effective regulatory system which allows for industry development and the application of new technologies. The current Canadian regulatory system is one of the safest in the world, and the existing high standards are worth supporting. However, Ag-West contends that uncertainty in Canada's regulatory system concerning CEPA must be removed or it will have a devastating effect on the investment and corporate development of the Canadian agbiotech industry.