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Petitions, posters, protest emails: Resistance to deregulation escalates
Poster "Is this man protecting our freedom of choice?"
Keep your promise, Olaf!
"Is this man protecting our freedom of choice?" reads the large tabloid-style poster next to a black and white photo of the German Chancellor being pulled by a tractor through Berlin's government district, past the Chancellery, the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the Social Democrats (SPD) party headquarters. It alludes to a statement made by Olaf Scholz during the 2021 parliamentary election campaign. At the time, the then SPD candidate for chancellor promised, when asked, to campaign for "strict regulation of new genetic engeineering". The original source and campaign material can be found on the corresponding website "Keep your promise, Olaf!" at scholz-gentechnik.de. Petitions, mailing campaigns and background information are also linked there.
New online petition: More than 50,000 supporters in just a few days
This includes the new online petition "Preserve the labelling and regulation of all GMO-plants!" on the Campact petition platform WeAct, which was recently launched by farmer Barbara Endrass from German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. "Ensure that genetic engineering continues to be labelled and tested as genetic engineering. Ensure that EU genetic engineering legislation continues to guarantee GMO-free seed and food production - both conventional and organic," is the demand addressed to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Agricultural Minister Cem Özdemir, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Development Minister Svenja Schulze, Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Economics Minister Robert Habeck and the German members of the EU Parliament. The petition has already been signed by over 50,000 people in just a few days.
Email campaign to Members of the EU Parliament
Another campaign format makes it easily possible to send an email directly to all or selected German MEPs on the European Parliament's Environment and Agriculture Committees, asking them to oppose the deregulation of GMO. These two committees hold a central role in the European Parliament's position on the issue. This campaign tool will be integrated directly into websites. So far, it can be found online at Demeter, IG Saatgut and Save our Seeds, among others, and can be adopted by other supporters. Over 30,000 people have already taken part.
"We're fed up" demonstration in January 2024 with a focus on genetic engineering
The upcoming major annual "We're fed up" demonstration at the International Green Week food fair in Berlin will also focus on the topic of GMO this time. "Good food needs a future - for GMO-free, rural and environmentally friendly agriculture!" is the slogan of the demonstration on 20 January 2024.
A strong signal to politicians
Together with the many initiatives, letters and appeals from associations and the conventional and organic food sector, this comprehensive, loud, public protest is a very strong signal to politicians that freedom of choice, transparency, labelling and risk assessment must be maintained - for all types of genetic engineering.
"Keep your promise, Olaf!" - Campaign website scholz-gentechnik.de (in German)
Camapct/WeAct online petition "Preserve the labelling and regulation of all GMO-plants!" (in German)
Email campaign "Stop the deregulation of new genetic engineering!" to MEPs (in German)