Press
Over 200 businesses demand freedom of choice for GMO in food
Manfred Weber, Deputy Chairman of the CSU, Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP
In a joint open letter, the businesses appeal to Manfred Weber, EPP Group Chairman in the European Parliament (EP) and Deputy Chairman of the CSU, to support the preservation of labelling and freedom of choice for genetically modified food. The businesses Alb-Gold, Alnatura, Andechser, dm and Frosta launched the initiative on 9 January 2024 and invited other businesses to co-sign the open letter.
The initiative was prompted by the upcoming intensive negotiations and votes in the EP on the question of whether food produced with new genetic engineering will remain recognisable in the EU in the future. The MEPs from the CDU/CSU and their EPP group have a key role to play here. They want to deregulate new genetic engineering products even more than the EU Commission. On 24 January 2024, a first groundbreaking vote is scheduled in the EP's responsible Environment Committee.
Prof. Dr. Götz E. Rehn, Alnatura: "I am delighted about the comprehensive support and I strongly appeal to all businesses in food production and retail, including those beyond the organic sector: Please sign the petition for clear mandatory labelling of genetically modified products. This is the only way we can maintain the freedom of choice and transparency that customers demand and ensure fair competition between the different methods for climate-friendly and future-oriented agriculture."
Jan Plagge, Bioland: "It is a sign of lack of responsibility to refuse to talk to industry before such far-reaching decisions are made. We hope for more insight. The EPP is currently in favour of a de facto ban on all coexistence measures throughout Europe and locally. Businesses need an explanation of where this contradictory behaviour by the CDU and CSU is supposed to lead."
Barbara Scheitz, Andechser Molkerei: "Freedom from genetic engineering is the basis of our organic farming. We live and work in harmony with nature. 'Leave things natural natural' is our mission. We need this clear commitment from Brussels."
Wolfgang Ahammer, VFI Oils for Life: "For us as manufacturers who are committed to food 'Ohne Gentechnik' (Non-GMO) and organic food, it is important that this status is secured through contoured approval practice and compliance with important market economy principles such as transparency at every stage of use, the burden of proof on the user and product liability."
Joseph Wilhelm, Rapunzel Naturkost: "Organic is GMO-free, always. Rapunzel has been committed to this since the early 2000s. The approval of new genetic engineering methods without labelling in Europe would be a catastrophe for organic agriculture and for organic products in general. We therefore call on all EU parliamentarians to vote in favour of honest labelling of products with new genetic engineering along the entire supply chain."
Andreas Wenning, Minderleinsmühle: "We are currently facing many initiatives that are trying to undermine the foundations of organic farming's vital contribution to food security and the industry’s tackling of the climate crisis. There must continue to be freedom of choice for consumers. The labeling of genetic engineering was created for this purpose. We must be able to rely on this in the future.”
The German Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG), Germany’s leading organic farming association Bioland, the Association of Organic Food Producers (AöL), and the German Association of Natural Food Natural Products (BNN) support the businesses in their initiative for freedom of choice when it comes to genetic engineering in food.