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International Green Week: Will "GMO-free" soon only be available with "Ohne Gentechnik" and organic labels?

01/16/2026 - At a panel debate on the opening day of the International Green Week in Berlin, representatives from VLOG and Bioland, as well as the businesses Alnatura and dennree, warned today against EU plans to deregulate genetic engineering.

The intended deregulation of EU genetic engineering law massively restricts transparency in food and deprives consumers of the ability to identify genetically modified products reliably. This became clear at today's press conference "Safely GMO-free – soon only in organic and 'Ohne Gentechnik' (GMO-free) products?", hosted by the Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) together with Bioland as part of the International Green Week in Berlin.

Against the backdrop of EU legislation on new genetic engineering techniques (NGT) nearing completion, representatives from agriculture, retail and "Ohne GenTechnik" seal approval discussed the possible consequences for practice and consumer orientation. The panel participants agreed that without mandatory labelling, traceability and risk assessment, consumers' freedom of choice is at stake.

Labelling as a cornerstone of consumer choice

Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of the Association Food without Genetic Engineering, warned against a fundamental break with the system: "If new genetic engineering processes are exempted from the labelling requirement, consumers will lose the ability to make an informed choice. Transparency is not a nice-to-have, but the basis of trust. The only discernible reason for abolishing mandatory labelling is that genetic engineering manufacturers want to conceal something from consumers and thus deliberately undermine this trust. If this were to happen, 'Ohne Gentechnik' and organic would be the last reliable points of reference when it comes to genetic engineering in supermarkets."

Agriculture between dependency and loss of control

From an organic farming perspective, the current EU proposal resembles a risky planned deception. Carolin Pagel, Head of Policy at Bioland, explained: "What is being sold here as progress is in reality a Trojan horse. Under the guise of innovation, there is a threat of dependency through patents, loss of control over seeds and a creeping erosion of fundamental European values such as freedom of choice and food sovereignty. Strong EU genetic engineering legislation has protected us so far, and abandoning it unnecessarily would be a historic mistake. Organic farming will continue to work without genetic engineering in the future, for an agriculture that shapes change without betraying its principles."

The organic retail sector calls for comprehensive labelling from field to shelf

The organic retail sector also expects noticeable consequences for customers. Gunther Weis, Head of Quality Management at Alnatura, emphasised: "Our customers want to know exactly how their food is produced. Organic farming is appealing because of its approach of working with nature and without genetic engineering. Organic stands for a production method with clear regulations and consistent labelling. This must also apply to new genetic engineering. Only then can customers choose freely."

Lukas Nossol, Head of Communications at Dennree, added: "The organic retail sector thrives on credibility. When government regulations reduce transparency, the pressure on retailers and manufacturers to fill this gap themselves increases. But freedom of choice must not be privatised; it is a political responsibility."

Appeal to politicians and EU institutions

The debate made it clear that key questions remain unanswered by politicians. Have the long-term risks of the new genetic engineering technology been sufficiently researched? Is protection against mass patenting of plants really guaranteed? Given the extremely modest international track record of NGT in practice to date, there is no reason to make ill-considered decisions. The representatives on the panel called on politicians, especially the European Parliament, not to be misled by vague promises, but to pull the emergency brake, to ensure clear labelling to protect consumers and effective patent restrictions to protect farmers.

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