台灣消費者對以番茄為例之基因編輯食品的認知研究

Abstract

在世界經濟快速發展的時代，人民生活水準不斷提高，健康議題越來越受到重視。高血壓是導致許多慢性病的危險因子，其中的心血管疾病更是長年以來位居於世界前十大死因。隨著全球人口持續成長，患有高血壓的人數在近三十年來不斷增加，被認定為全球疾病負擔的首位，因此降低高血壓的盛行率已經成為全球永續發展的重要目標。雖然高血壓可以通過藥物治療得到改善，但在多數人無意識到自身患有高血壓而未接受治療的情況下，對降低高血壓盛行率的成效有限。相較之下，以提高日常飲食中有助於緩解高血壓成分的攝取是更具有潛力的方法。番茄是國際上重要的經濟作物，番茄中的γ-胺基丁酸是具有降低血壓功能的成分。目前透過基因編輯技術(精準育種)培育出富含γ-胺基丁酸的番茄品種，儘管社會對於基因科技的應用有所反對，但由於基因編輯技術與傳統育種的作物並無差異，其充滿發展性的前景促使許多國家開始評估社會的接受度，並且研擬相關法規草案，然而在臺灣很少有相關的研究和討論。因此本研究聚焦在基因編輯蕃茄與其抗高血壓的功效，透過前導問卷的方式收集與評估台灣社會大眾對於基因編輯食品和科技的認知，希望促進相關議題的討論和提供有助於立法的意見。本研究總共收集到103 份來自各年齡層的樣本，通過評估與比對各國消費者對於科技發展在不同面向的態度，我們認為收集到的問卷樣本是來自於對科技發展有相對正面態度的消費者，但與其他科技接受度更高的國家相比，仍然存在明顯的進步空間。在調查消費者對於育種的認知時，有超過半數的消費者表示不熟悉基因編輯，但在安全性、天然性、道德性和永續性等方面來看，消費者對基因編輯的接受度皆比基因改造來得高，而天然性可能會是基因編輯是否被大眾接受的關鍵。除此之外，我們發現女性在基因編輯技術的接受度有標準比男性更嚴苛，而學生族群在安全和道德方面比起非學生族群更能接受基因編輯，但在天然性和永續性方面則不然。令我們意外的是，研究結果顯示年齡在 31 至 50 歲之間的消費者比起基因編輯反而更能夠接受基因改造。另外，我們透過提供有助於理解基因編輯番茄育種目的之訊息，評估消費者對基因編輯番茄的接受度。根據我們的研究結果，有接近半數的消費者會擔心自己有高血壓的症狀，並且願意吃由基因編輯技術育種之番茄。此外，消費者對基因編輯技術在其他領域的應用是有所期待的。然而目前尚有將近五分之一的消費者表示自己對於基因編輯技術並不了解，因此整體社會仍需對作物育種和基因技術進行完善的教育與推廣，以提升接受度與共識。

The number of people suffering from hypertension has been increasing in recent years. Because it leads to severe cardiovascular diseases, reducing the prevalence of hypertension has become a global unmet need. Although hypertension could be well controlled through medical treatment, many people are unaware of having hypertension and not under effective treatment. In contrast, dietary approaches have more potential to relieve hypertension in our daily life. Tomatoes are a common healthy food containing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which can reduce blood pressure in hypertension conditions. For health purposes, tomatoes with high levels of GABA have been bred through genome editing technology. However, previous research has shown people's attitudes against genetic technology. Due to the promising development of genome editing technology, several countries have investigated public perception and started establishing acts, while little research and discussion could be found in Taiwan. Therefore, our study used tomatoes to assess public perception of genome-edited foods and genome editing technology as a pilot survey in Taiwan. We have received 103 online responses from all ages of the consumers. Through comparing consumer’s attitudes toward science and technology among different countries, we believed that our respondents might be relatively receptive to science and technology in the population, but there is still a gap between countries with high acceptance. Moreover, over half of the consumers feel unfamiliar with genome editing. Nevertheless, consumers are slightly more accepting of genome editing than genetic modification in the aspect of safety, naturalness, ethic, and sustainability. Among, naturalness might be the most critical point for consumers to accept. We also analyze the public perception of breeding methods based on the different socio-demographic characteristics and found that females might have stricter standards for genome editing technology. Besides, students are more receptive to genome editing technology than non-students in terms of safety and ethic but not naturalness and sustainability. To our surprise, consumers from 31 to 50 years old are more accepting of genetic modification than genome editing in all aspects. Then, we assessed the social acceptability of genome-edited tomatoes enriched with GABA by providing brief information. Based on our study, consumers are worried about having hypertension and willing to eat high-GABA tomatoes despite genome editing technology. In addition, consumers are expecting more applications in other areas. In conclusion, nearly one in five consumers do not understand genome editing technology, and thus, thorough education about breeding methods and genetic technology is essentially required.