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GMO-free milk accounts for over 75 percent of total German milk volume
As the latest analyses by German Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI) show for 2023, the proportion of GMO-free milk has remained constant at over 70 percent since 2020. The introduction of the "Ohne GenTechnik" (Non-GMO) seal 15 years ago and the founding of the German Association Food without Genetic Engineering – (VLOG) have initiated a rapid development. As early as 2018, the proportion of GMO-free milk was well over 50 percent and has grown steadily since then to consistently over 70 percent. This development goes hand in hand with consumers' preference for GMO-free food and the decision of many businesses to meet this demand. The current data was collected by AMI for VLOG in August 2024.
Pioneer of "ohne Gentechnik" milk production
VLOG was able to find the Berchtesgadener Land dairy an ideal and particularly authentic partner for all events to mark the seal anniversary. For the dairy is an example of the commitment of many businesses in the food sector to offer consumers "Ohne Gentechnik" food. As the pioneer dairy in Germany to record and to process Demeter milk over 50 years ago, it has long been involved with natural, GMO-free animal nutrition. With the launch of the "Ohne Gentechnik" certification in 2010 and thus the possibility of labelling conventional milk accordingly, all conventional members of the dairy have also committed to this. Since then, the following has applied to all dairy farmers: Genetic engineering is taboo, according to the Berchtesgadener Land dairy.
Bernhard Pointner, Managing Director of the Berchtesgadener Land dairy, explains the company's firm commitment to GMO-free production: "The topic of 'Ohne Gentechnik' has been on my mind since I started as Managing Director of the Berchtesgadener Land dairy. Then as well as today, our members tell me that milk production along the Northern Alpine chain is possible without genetic engineering - using neither old nor new methods such as the gene scissors. Our customers are well informed, nutritionally and environmentally aware and do not want green genetic engineering on their plates. That is why we are committed to ensuring that freedom of choice and thus mandatory labelling for genetic engineering methods remain possible."
Successful initiative: Food industry in favour of freedom of choice
The dairy company is also involved as a co-initiator of the Open Letter ‘Food Industry for Freedom of Choice’ to the EU agriculture ministers. The letter with far-reaching demands for transparency, labelling and traceability of all products produced with new genetic engineering was signed by 376 businesses from 16 EU countries, including renowned industry giants such as REWE Group, SPAR Austria and dm-drogerie markt. On 3 September 2024, the Open Letter was handed over to the current EU Council President for Agriculture and Fisheries, Hungarian Minister Dr István Nagy. He welcomed the initiative and promised to support the concerns of the businesses.
Ohne Gentechnik milk market shares 2023
Business initiative Open Letter for freedom of choice
Ilse Aigner on the origin of the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal
Agrarzeitung: GMO-free milk takes the lead (German)
TopAgrar: Less GMO-free milk than two years ago (German)
Proplanta: GMO-free milk: over 75 percent market share by 2023 (German)