Investors want to see companies understand and articulate clearly the way this technology will be successful for them and the benefit it will provide to their customers or the end consumer.

GM is an interesting case if it is viewed in this way.  Henderson's and other SRI funds are not able to invest in GM technologies at the moment.  Is this blanket ban now legitimate given the significant problems we all face.   How much money have investors lost by being unable to invest in that technology?  If the companies had done a better job at engaging with society, understanding concerns, reshaping a technology which met people's needs and ambitions and addressed their concerns, perhaps the technology would be able to benefit investors and society.

However even if this position were reviewed, and there is a growing case that it could be,  There appears to be few GM applications, if any, that would want warrant investment.  The real social benefit for the use of these technologies in the cotton sector or other agricultural uses is still appears marginal, with some risk.

If we were to see drought resistance, salt tolerant crops which have been created using gm technologies then there may be more interest, particularly if there are innovative differential pricing as the Pharma industry is using.