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"Ohne GenTechnik" anniversary: The success story goes on

06/26/2024 - To mark the 15th anniversary of the "Ohne GenTechnik" (Non-GMO) seal, more than 100 participants from the food and feed industry, politics, research, associations and the media met in Berlin on 20 June 2024 for the VLOG .:. Forum conference and an evening reception. Participants shared facts and debated the achievements, developments, challenges and opportunities of the "Ohne Gentechnik" sector.

Aigner: Outstanding success story of the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal

The "Ohne GenTechnik" seal was introduced in 2009 by the then Federal Minister of Agriculture Ilse Aigner (CSU). In her video message to the audience, the current President of the Bavarian State Parliament described herself as the "midwife of the seal" and was delighted with its "rapid development and outstanding success story".

In his review of the history of the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal, Florian Faber from Austria’s ARGE Gentechnik-frei also recognised the remarkable achievement of building up in 15 years in Germany a market of over 16,000 sealed products and annual sales exceeding17.4 billion euros.

All photos on this page: Concept Photography Berlin

Künast: Genetic engineering is not the answer

Consumers have the right to know what is in the products they buy, said Renate Künast MP (Greens), and VLOG plays an outstanding role in this transparency. The former Federal Minister of Agriculture (2001 to 2005) opened the evening reception to mark the seal's anniversary with a keynote address.

In it, she addressed unfulfilled promises and the negative effects of genetic engineering over the past 20 years in raw material origins such as Brazil. "Genetic engineering is not the answer to the question of how we can secure food worldwide. The question of hunger in the world will not be solved with genetic engineering." Rather, overcoming the climate crisis and preserving biodiversity must be given top priority in order to make agriculture possible at all in the future. "Extreme weather conditions all over the world are massively jeopardising our food security."

Labelling, coexistence, patents - BMEL wants to protect "Ohne Gentechnik" markets

During a panel discussion at the VLOG .:. Forum, Dr Klaus Berend from the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety continued to insist on the EU's intention to treat so-called "NGT-1 plants" in the same way as traditional breeds.

Eva Bell, head of the department responsible for genetic engineering at the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), on the other hand, called for transparency through traceability and labelling: "German customers are not indifferent to how a mutation in the plant came about. We feel we have a duty to take the wishes of our citizens seriously and implement them". The ministry also has an economic and sustainability interest in supporting the two large markets ("Ohne Gentechnik" and organic) and not in putting a strain on them.

Status quo in Brussels and opportunities for the "Ohne Gentechnik" sector

Heike Moldenhauer, Secretary General of the European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA), had previously presented and analysed the EU Commission's genetic engineering plans and the status of the political process in detail. "The best thing that can happen to us now is that Hungary takes up the open critical questions and we come to a clarification that does justice to all market participants," she concluded with a view to the upcoming handover of the EU Council Presidency from Belgium to Hungary on 1 July 2024. After an attempt by the Belgian Council Presidency on 26 June 2024 to get the Member States on course for genetic engineering deregulation at the last minute failed, chances of this happening look good.

In its last vote under the Belgian Council Presidency, the EU Parliament adopted the Commission's deregulation proposal as a package. However, in February, a surprising majority had already voted in favour of an amendment on the continuous labelling of all new genetically engineered plants ("NGT") up to the consumer product and their traceability. However, other demands, such as coexistence measures and risk assessments, did not receive sufficient support in Parliament.

Trilogue is pending: Do sign an open letter to Özdemir & Co. now

As long as the European agriculture ministers have not reached a common position, the negotiations between the EU Commission, the EU Parliament and the Agriculture Council, the so-called trialogue, cannot begin. They are a prerequisite for the adoption of a new law.

Heike Moldenhauer appealed to all food businesses to stand up for their interests and support the businesses' new initiative for freedom of choice, which was also presented at the VLOG .:. Forum by Bernard Pointner (Managing Director of Dairy Berchtesgadener Land) and Felix Ahlers (CEO of Frosta AG). In an open letter, they call on German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir and his counterparts in all other EU Member States to advocate clear regulations for new genetic engineering ("NGT"). The businesses Alb-Gold, Alnatura, Andechser and dm are also part of the initiators.

Other presentations, panels and dialogue rounds at the VLOG .:. Forum dealt with detection methods and traceability systems for new genetic engineering as well as the market situation and future prospects for the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal.

With the Berchtesgadener Land dairy, which has been an "Ohne GenTechnik" seal user from the very beginning, VLOG was able to gain an ideal and particularly authentic partner for the seal anniversary and all associated events. REWE Group and Ariana Laboratories were sponsors of the VLOG .:. Forum, while other supporters included Tegut, Wiesenhof, Planton, Schwarzwaldmilch and TÜV Süd. The Berchtesgadener Land dairy was also the exclusive partner of VLOG at the evening reception, with Wiesenhof and TÜV Süd as additional supporters.