February 26, 2018

Poland plans to cut GMOs in animal feed
 

Poland's agriculture ministry is crafting a bill to cut down the amount of genetically modified soy in livestock feed, IAR reported.

One of the key goals of proposed changes in the law is to boost domestic production of crops with high protein content.
 

"At present, there is no (non-GMO) equivalent to genetically engineered soybean meal in Europe," said Adam Tański, head of the Grain and Feed Chamber.

EU member states import over 30 million tonnes of soy and soybean meal annually, 90% of which is genetically engineered, according to the European Commission.

Meanwhile, 70% of animal feed in Poland is based on genetically modified soybean meal, Tański said, expressing hope that the new bill would help reduce the country's reliance on the product.

Poland intends to tap into domestic high-protein sources to supply half of the domestic demand by 2024.
 

The country is among the first nations in Europe to work out a policy which reduces GMO content in animal feed.

The European Commission would be presenting plans for cutting down genetically modified feed by the end of 2018.

In October 2015, the European Parliament's environment committee rejected a proposal to allow individual member states to ban trade in and use of biotech food and animal feed, citing the EU's free movement of goods principle.

- IAR