Berlin, Germany
December 22, 2005
Source:
Deutsche Welle via
Checkbiotech
In a sharp departure from existing
policy, Germany's
new agriculture minister is promoting genetically modified
technology instead of organic farming. Now, the first three
types of GM corn have received approval.
Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred,
which produce the three types of newly approved MON 810 seed for
general use and sale by German farmers, hailed the decision as a
break from the ideological agriculture policy propagated by
former agriculture minister and Green party member Renate
Künast.
"The seeds have been stuck in the system for a while," said
Heinz Degenhardt of Pioneer Hi-Bred. "The regular approval
process could have actually been finished a long time ago, if it
was not slowed down for political reasons."
Other GM crop changes also expected
Künast's department blocked approval for the seeds -- which
produce bacteria to kill corn pests found in parts of Germany
while remaining safe for humans -- on several occasions and
encouraged organic farming methods instead.
While new Agriculture and Consumer Minister Horst Seehofer told
the Berliner Zeitung, "we want to promote modified foods," a
ministry spokeswoman would only confirm that the policies were
being examined.
However, many in the GM industry expect a number of changes to
be made under Germany's new grand coalition government, with the
conservative Christian Social Union's Seehofer at the head of
the Agriculture Ministry.
"We are naturally expecting other political changes," Monsanto's
Andreas Thierfelder said. "We are hoping the new government does
what it said it would do and change the genetic engineering
law."
GM crop producers said they hope changes to the law will give GM
products the same status as non-modified products. Current
practice "discriminates against those who use genetic
technology" and keeps them from using new techniques to increase
their harvests by calling for an increase in organic farming,
according to Thierfelder.
A question of coexistence
"The conventional and genetically modified crop import market
already shows that coexistence is possible in Germany," he
added. "The cultivation of genetically modified crops puts
greater demands on coexistence since it deals with relatively
smaller particles, but coexistence is possible on farms."
But GM opponents don't agree.
Peter Röhrig of the Ecological Food Industry Federation, on the
other hand, said there are a number of factors that prevent
coexistence from being a practical solution, and that it is
consumers opposed to GM products who pay the price.
"Right now the people who do not want to eat genetically
modified food end up paying for the existence of genetically
modified food by covering all the separation costs," he said.
GM dangers incalculable
Touted by government and industry officials as an innovative
industry for German farmers, GM food opponents also argue the
dangers of GM crops have not been subject to enough scrutiny
before being put on the open market.
"There are short term studies done on mice and rabbits, but no
long term studies with humans," Röhrig said, pointing out a
recent case in Australia where two individually safe pea genes
were mixed and became toxic. "There is still very much we do not
know, and no one is looking for answers in a way would guarantee
people's health over the long term."
Admitting that there is always a chance potential threat, seed
producers insist that their products are as safe as others
available on the market.
"There is no technology that is completely risk free,"
Thierfelder said. "But we think, and the approval authorities
are also of the opinion, that the risk is justifiable."
More GM crops to come
While both sides quote from studies about the danger or safety
of GM crops, Pioneer Hi-Bred's Degenhardt said he expects more
of them to be officially approved for use in Germany.
"The German Federal Office of Plant Varieties approves between
15 and 20 types of corn each year for cultivation in Germany,"
Pioneer's Degenhardt said. "In the future there will also be
approvals for genetically modified types, and that will become
normal."
© 2005
Deutsche Welle |