Using citizen science to explore plant breeding and investigate food-chain transparency for novel breeding methods

在英国脱欧后，英国表示打算偏离一些与育种相关的欧盟法律，特别是使用生物技术来改善环境可持续性并刺激这些技术的创新(DEFRA，2021A)。因此，DEFRA最近就利用基因编辑进行作物和家畜养殖进行了公众咨询，以确保改善食品系统，提供丰富、健康和可持续的食品(DEFRA，2021年b)。研究确实表明：(1)新型食品技术的实施和持续使用取决于公众对该技术的接受程度，(2)成功的实施需要参与性方法促进“社会中的科学”关系(BEarth和Siegrist，2016；Bonney等人，2016)。根据这些发现，我们将采用公民科学的方法，需要志愿者积极参与研究。这将有助于提高公民参与者关于植物育种和新育种方法的知识，并支持将这些方法成功地纳入食物链。我们的项目旨在解决食品安全局在食品系统未来优先领域内关于新食品的研究主题。该项目的主要工作包如下：WP1数据收集活动旨在提高参与者对植物育种和新育种方法的知识，并了解他们对涉及基因编辑应用的透明食品系统的期望和需求。在项目结束时，公民科学家将首先被要求完成一项关于他们对植物育种和育种方法的风险/益处认知、信任和知识的简短调查(预试)，以评估他们的进展。数据收集工作将鼓励公民参与者发现该品种是否出现在食品包装上，如果是的话，就在网上进行搜索。这项练习将帮助参与者提高对他们所吃的食物、饲养历史的了解，无论这种食物是否在英国种植。参与者随后将完成每次5分钟的在线调查，包括关于他们收集的信息的问题，以及他们可能希望在理想的、完全透明的食品系统WP2在线培训和互动平台中获得的任何额外信息，旨在让公民科学家参与互动培训和讨论平台。为此，将为参与者和项目团队创建一个微软团队平台。WP2将鼓励公民科学家与团队和彼此互动，在在线平台上分享他们关于数据收集工作和记录的经验、问题和建议，并拓宽他们对植物育种和新方法的知识。WP3评估旨在通过测试后调查和焦点小组，与公民参与者一起评估以前WP的结果。这一合作努力的目标是探索参与者在植物育种和新方法方面的知识是否有所提高，这种改进是否/如何影响他们对植物育种和新方法的先前信念，并就如何确保成功整合新育种方法的透明食品系统获得他们的意见。在WP3之后，将举行最后的项目小组会议，与项目合作伙伴(即DEFRA，英国植物育种者协会)分享项目成果，以扩大他们对新育种方法背景下的透明食品系统的理解，并与他们讨论如何将新型育种方法的成功集成集成到透明的食品系统中。*请注意，本申请附件中提供了一份参考列表，其中包括本节和后续部分引用的所有参考文献。

Post Brexit, the UK signalled its intention to diverge from some EU laws relevant to breeding, particularly using biotechnology to improve environmental sustainability and stimulate innovation in these technologies (DEFRA, 2021a). Therefore, DEFRA recently conducted a public consultation exercise on the use of gene editing for crop and livestock breeding to ensure an improved food system that provides abundant, healthy, and sustainable food (DEFRA, 2021b). Research has indeed shown that (1) the implementation and continued use of novel food technologies depend on public acceptance of the technology, and that (2) successful implementations require participatory approaches fostering 'science-in-society' relationships (Bearth and Siegrist, 2016; Bonney et al., 2016). In line with these findings, we will apply a citizen science approach that requires active involvement of volunteers in research. This will be both contributory and collaborative for improving the knowledge of citizen participants on plant breeding and novel breeding methods and supporting the successful integration of these methods into the food chain. Our project aims to address the FSA research theme on novel foods within priority area on future of food systems. The main work packages that make up the project are as follows:WP1 Data Collection Exercise aims to improve participants' knowledge on plant breeding and novel breeding methods, and to understand their expectations and needs regarding a transparent food system that involves gene editing applications. Citizen scientists will first be asked to complete a short survey (pre-test) regarding their risk/benefit perceptions, trust, and knowledge with respect to plant breeding and breeding methods to assess their progress at the end of the project.The data collection exercise will encourage citizen participants to find whether the variety is named on food packaging, and if so to search it on the web. This exercise will help the participants improve their knowledge about the food they eat, breeding history, whether it is cultivated in the UK. The participants will subsequently complete a 5-min online survey each time, consisting of questions about the information they have collected, and any additional information they may want to receive in an ideal, fully transparent food system WP2 Online Platform for Training and Interaction aims to involve citizen scientists in an interactive training and discussion platform. For this purpose, a Microsoft Teams platform will be created for the participants and project team. WP2 will encourage citizen scientists to interact with the team and with each other to share their experiences, questions, and suggestions regarding the data collection exercise and recordings on the online platform, as well as broaden their knowledge on plant breeding and novel methods. WP3 Evaluation aims to evaluate the outcomes of previous WP's with citizen participants through a post-test survey and focus groups. The goal of this collaborative effort is to explore whether participants' knowledge on plant breeding and novel methods has improved, whether/how this improvement has affected their prior beliefs about plant breeding and novel methods, and also to get their input on how to ensure a transparent food system involving successful integration of novel breeding methods.Following WP3, a final project team meeting will be held to share the outcomes of the project with the project partners (i.e., DEFRA, British Society of Plant Breeders) to broaden their understanding of a transparent food system in the context of novel breeding methods, and discuss with them how successful integration of novel breeding methods can be integrated to a transparent food system.*Please note that a reference list including all the references cited in this section and the following sections has been provided as attachment to this application.