April 8, 2015

An ongoing battle for GM crops in Germany

Genetically-modified (GM) crop cultivations in Germany remains a polarising matter within the country's coalition government.

In face of oppositions, agriculture minister Christian Schmidt has drafted a bill that would give German states the autonomy on permitting or banning the crops.

On the other hand, the German citizenry is generally not in favour of such cultivations, according to polls. 

Currently, an ongoing debate is set to last for months in the lower house of parliament (Bundestag) over the implementation of a new law that would ban GM crops locally, Chemistry World reported. This comes after a recent law now conveys EU member states the rights to restrict bloc-approved crops on their own soils. 

The possibility that the German government might shut the door on GM crops has prompted Leopoldina, the country's national academy of sciences, to endorse the crops, said Matin Qaim, a member of the academy's GMO working group.

The academy contended that modern molecular breeding techniques and cultivation of approved GM crops are safe.

"A permanent ban on GMO cultivation in Germany would be a death sentence for plant biotech research in Germany", Qaim warned. He is also concerned that public aversion to GM crops are not grounded in credible scientific realities.

"Thirty years of risk research have shown that GM crops are not per se more risky than their conventionally bred counterparts", Qaim added.

Leoplodina's stand is supported by Bayer CropScience which is keeping faith that scientific arguments will triumph over resistance against GM crops in Europe.

"...every voice of reason will have a certain impact in the current debate", said Richard Breum, Bayer's spokesman.