News

Green-conservative coalition government: German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg to remain GMO-free

05/12/2021 - In their new coalition agreement, the Greens and the CDU (Christian Democrats, conservative party) have committed themselves to “GMO free”. GM plants will not be cultivated in the southwest German state in the future either. The same rules are to apply to new GMOs as to "old" GMOs.

So it is stated under the headline "Baden-Wuerttemberg remains a GMO-free region" in the coalition agreement "Renewal agreement now for tomorrow" that was confirmed with large majorities at party congresses of the Greens and the CDU last weekend. Peter Hauk (CDU) will remain Minister of Agriculture in the third Kretschmann cabinet - and thus also the state government's main authority on the implementation of GMO-free agriculture. On the federal level, on the other hand, many renowned CDU politicians now support the use of new genetic engineering in agriculture and also its deregulation - including Peter Hauk's party and ministerial colleague, Federal Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner.

Good signal for coalition on the federal level

"This is a good signal for the GMO policy of a possible Green-CDU federal government," comments VLOG’s managing director Alexander Hissting. The position of the new federal government is also likely to have decisive significance for the future regulation of new genetic engineering procedures on the EU level. "The 'Ohne Gentechnik' and organic food industry is dependent on clear rules. Only if new genetic engineering methods such as CRISPR continue to be clearly considered and labelled as genetic engineering will we be able to meet consumers' expectations of GMO-free products," said Hissting.

The new Green-CDU coalition agreement clearly states: "We will adhere to the strict approval procedure and the European precautionary principle for new genetic engineering methods" and "no genetically modified plants will be cultivated in Baden-Wuerttemberg".

Coalition also against import of GM feed

The Greens and the CDU also oppose the import of genetically modified feed: "We do not want GMOs on our plates, in our fields, in our forests or in the feed of our animals - this applies to regionally produced products as well as to imported ones." VLOG will closely follow the actual measures taken by Minister Peter Hauk to implement this political goal.

Baden-Wuerttemberg: The Green-Black Coalition Agreement

Top Agrar: Continued independent CDU Ministry of Agriculture