The non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Summit, held in Frankfurt on 7-8 October, wrapped up with a clear message to the EU policymakers: transparency is key when it comes to New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).
“The non-GMO sector is here to stay!” declared the organisers in a press release, on behalf of more than 160 participants. As the largest gathering of the non-GMO industry, the event focused on promoting food and feed production without the use of gene-editing technologies.
Proud of the political backing garnered during the summit, organisers highlighted remarks from Hungary’s Agriculture Minister, István Nagy, who also chairs the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Nagy, known for his conservative views on food innovation, gave an opening speech on Monday.
“I am convinced that the precautionary principle should be applied when new technologies are used, and organisms produced with such techniques are released into the environment and the food chain,” said Nagy.
Similar remarks were made by the German and Austrian governments, where the non-GMO sector continues to thrive. In Germany, the “Ohne GenTechnik” (without genetic engineering) food products sales hit a record €17.4 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, Austria, where all milk and egg supply chain is non-GMO, saw sales reach €4.5 billion, according to industry figures.
“Our goal is to find a compromise for a socially acceptable way of dealing with the new genetic engineering methods, and we are working on that,” said German state secretary Silvia Bender.
Austria’s Health Minister, Dietmar Vybiral, took a stronger stance, urging summit attendees to ramp up pressure in their respective countries to oppose the deregulation of NGTs. The new NGT regulations have been stuck in the Council for almost a year, and with Hungary holding the presidency, they’re unlikely to progress anytime soon.
A ‘Jurassic Park’ scenario
The deadlock on NGTs is just another sign of the polarisation surrounding the debate on GMOs, which has more to do with public perception than science, argues Marcin Napiórkowski, a semiologist at Warsaw University and researcher at an EU observatory against disinformation.
Napiórkowski spoke to Euractiv yesterday (9 October) on the sidelines of an event during the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels.
"The non-GMO debate that started in the 1990s is now overshadowing the debate around new genomic techniques," he added, noting that most consumers do not understand the science behind them. "What they [consumers] want is to avoid a Jurassic Park scenario," he added.
Napiórkowski shared insights from his conversations with Polish farmers, who were less concerned about a science-gone-wrong disaster and more interested in how GMOs could make farming more appealing to younger generations and help smaller farms to be more competitive. "And we don't have good answer for this," said the researcher. “What we know is the American, Brazilian or Argentinian model of GMOs, and we don't have our own European model and policy,” added Napiórkowski.
He believes the solution lies in finding a middle ground: “If we move away from a total ban or total acceptance and start looking into different possibilities, I really believe we can find solutions that will be more attractive to all stakeholders," he noted.
