By Markus Hofmann, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Translated by Katharina Schoebi, Checkbiotech

Even after years of debate, the issue of “biotechnology and food” still occupies the minds of many. Instead of seeking consensus, all too often polemics are dominating. This was once again demonstrated during a roundtable discussion by the German-speaking Swiss consumer forum in Zurich, Switzerland.

The consumer forum had good intentions. For once, it was hoped that not (only) opponents and proponents of biotechnology would be invited to the panel, but also people involved in this area, such as researchers, farmers, industrialists and suppliers. Thus, the organizers hoped to create a factual and informative event that should enlighten the public about “biotechnology in the area of conflict of chances and fears.” However, the discussion about biotechnology rapidly devolved into a polemic exchange of blows, too.

To produce for the consumer

First, the president of the Swiss National Farmer’s Union and SVP-National-Councilor, Hansjoerg Walter, lost his temper. Arthur Einsele, a representative of the seed-industry, said that genetically engineered plants were better and healthier than plants treated with pesticides, because they were treated with fewer pesticides.

“If an representative of Syngenta is saying this, it gets dangerous,” Walter said. “Syngenta is one of the most powerful producers of seeds and plant protecting agents worldwide, and as such would control the market. Industries must not prescribe what sort of agriculture farmers have to practice. Farmers will defend themselves against this,” Walter continued.

Farmers should produce those products that the public demands. The great majority would not want to eat genetically engineered vegetables. Therefore, the Swiss National Farmer’s Union is campaigning for Swiss agriculture free of gene technology. In this way, farmers could claim a place on the market with their nature-friendly production.

This exchange angered Beda Stadler, professor of Immunology at the University of Bern. He noted he would pay anyone SFr 1,000 ($ 800) who was able to prove that genetically engineered food is harmful to humans.

“It is a myth, that organic products are healthier than those produced by genetic engineering. Organic farmers also use pesticides. This is actually much worse, as farmers are using still copper. Unlike modern crop protection products, copper is not be biodegradable and stays in the soil.”

To which Walter retorted, that the use of copper would be rigorously controlled. “That is true. Four kilograms of copper would be allowed per hectare…,” Einsele affirmed.

Gene technology in chocolate

As there was no agreement on this topic, they tried to steer the discussion to the market, which seems to function according to rational laws. Walter said, “There are no genetically engineered products which offer an additional advantage for the consumer. So why should we offer them?” Professor Stadler rebutted, “The public cannot form a view on these products, because in Switzerland, biotechnology is hindered. The often praised freedom of choice does not exist.”

This was confirmed by a representative of Migros, Stefan Flueckiger. Migros ensures that no product is somehow genetically engineered, because of consumer demand. However, it would not be easy to really prove that this is the case. In particular, it would be difficult to get GM-free additives. Their exclusion would increase the price of the products. For GM-free glucose used for jam, for example, Migros has to pay an additional premium of SFr 160,000 ($ 135,000) compared to genetically engineered glucose – and thus the customer has to pay more.

GM-free production of milk chocolate is no longer possible, Stadler said, because the lecithin therein is generally made of genetically engineered soybean. “All those, who ate milk chocolate in the past few years, consumed genetically engineered food.”

Flueckiger denied this, saying that their lecithin was derived from a GM-free production. Stadler shook his head in resignation. “It may be so, that people will always be afraid of something, even without reason.”

Now, this trait meets with biotechnology.