2023-07-06 05:02:00
Contents
The EU Commission wants to relax the genetic engineering rules for agriculture. The reactions in Switzerland at a glance.
These are the plans of the EU Commission: In a draft law, she proposes that the rules for genetically modified plants be relaxed significantly. The focus is on new techniques such as the CRISPR/Cas gene scissors, with which precise interventions in the genetic material are possible. The EU Commission hopes that more robust plants can be developed that are more resistant to pests or climatic changes. This should also mean that fewer fertilizers and pesticides are needed.
What does that mean for Switzerland? In this country it has been valid since 2005 a genetic engineering moratorium. That is why agriculture is not allowed to grow genetically modified plants. Use for research purposes is excluded. The moratorium was recently extended until 2025. It is conceivable that Switzerland will partially adopt the changes proposed by the EU Commission in the future, provided that the draft law is approved.
How is organic farming reacting? According to the EU Commission, the new genetic engineering methods should not be used in organic food. Nevertheless, the Bio Suisse association sees Swiss organic farming at risk. “The EU Commission has adopted the wording of the industry with many promises,” said President Urs Brändli, criticizing the draft law. “We see a lot of big risks.” The organic farmer fears that genetically modified plants no longer have to be labeled as such. “Accordingly, we might no longer guarantee GMO-free organic farming,” he says. The association assumes that the Federal Council and Parliament will orientate themselves closely towards the EU when dealing with the new genetic engineering.
The Farmers Union says: “We are following the EU’s decisions with great interest,” says Markus Ritter, President of the Swiss Farmers’ Association. “They form the basis for later regulation in Switzerland.” It is crucial for his association how the new rules are implemented in this country and how they are perceived by consumers. This requires discussions.
This is what consumer protection demands: In a supermarket, people should be able to tell whether a food has been genetically modified. That is why Sara Stalder, director of the Consumer Protection Foundation, is demanding that the new genetic engineering processes that are the focus of the EU also fall under the existing Genetic Engineering Act. “Only then can they be declared, and only then do people have the opportunity to decide whether they support a genetic engineering method or not.” We know from surveys that there is a lot of skepticism. “We assume that consumers would not tolerate that,” believes Stalder.
Researchers welcome EU plans: “For many years we have been waiting for the regulation of genetic engineering to change and improve,” says Beat Keller, Professor of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Zurich. He sees many possibilities thanks to the new genetic engineering processes: Plants might be made resistant to various diseases or the quality of the fruit might be changed. But the current laws would still prevent such applications. “It’s an opportunity for agriculture not to lose touch with the rest of the world,” says Keller.
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