Iowa State has the potential to be a leader in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

The third annual symposium of Iowa State’s Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products was held Tuesday at the Gateway Center in Ames, focusing on promoting the understanding and communication of various issues involved with agricultural biotechnology, including the risks and benefits that are involved and what is being done in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

“[The symposium] is held annually as an outreach,” said Jeffrey Wolt, professor of agronomy. “[The symposium] helps communicate and build understanding of the risks and benefits.”

Manjit Misra, director of agriculture and biosystems engineering, said that the main purpose of the symposium is to discuss the communication and policy issues involved in agricultural biotechnology.

“We are trying to address the public and consumer’s concerns by bringing in speakers to discuss things such as risk assessment and prevention,” Misra said. “There can be economic benefits to Iowa if we can find a way to manage these concerns safely. It is important to do so in a way so that there are no risks to Iowa.”

The convention was separated into two sessions. The morning session had an emphasis on the communication of agricultural biotechnology to the general public. The speakers included Thomas Hoban, professor of sociology, anthropology and food science at North Carolina State University, and Paul Elias, Associated Press writer. The speakers talked about ways to address the topics to the general public.

“The speakers were able to put into perspective the difficulties involved in understanding biotechnology,” Wolt said.

“The afternoon session will consist mostly of scientists to present the scientific issues. These issues are important to know as a public.”

Wolt also said it is important for officials to be honest with the public about the information they have.

“People have their own perceptions, but it is still the responsibility of scientists to convey the information in an open manner,” Wolt said. “This will allow the public to build trust in what [the scientists] say.”

The afternoon session included a panel discussion, as well as various speakers on the policies pertaining to agricultural biotechnology.

“The speakers had many ideas that made [the audience] think,” Misra said. “They talked about issues of concern.”