CONCERNS over the safety of Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) in food are ranging diverse groups of consumers against the biotech industry and playing a part in approaching German elections. Germany's government started a national debate on GMOs in May with a series of meetings planned between politicians, farming and food industry groups to seek a national consensus. But in the run up to this week's European parliamentary poll and a general election in September the force of German mistrust of genetically modified foods is clear, with a recent poll saying over 70 percent of voters are hostile to GMOs. German gut-feeling that GMOs are unwholesome or harmful remains doggedly entrenched, even though no major study from a neutral scientific institute has concluded GMOs are dangerous. “There is little doubt that the public is immensely sceptical about the studies saying GMOs are safe,” said Martin Schraa, grains analyst at German agricultural agency ZMP. “People remember such past issues as mad cow disease, where experts said things were safe and changed their minds later.” Politicians are latching onto this concern to boost their election campaigns and the country is not expected to take long-term policy decisions on biotech crops in any time soon, observers say. Germany's farm minister Ilse Aigner banned commercial cultivation and sale of GMO maize in April on safety concerns, despite European Union approval, sparking public disagreement with the country's science minister, who feared damage to Germany's research. The conservative CSU party in Bavaria, which farm minister Aigner belongs to, has raised GMOs as an election issue in a series of speeches and statements after the party lost ground seriously in recent polls. Farmers and firefighters “The rural culture in Bavaria from farmers, folk costume clubs to volunteer fire services are being grouped emotionally against biotech and these are all likely CSU voters which the party wants on its side,” said Claudia Doering of Germany's national consortium of farming cooperatives, which is neither for nor against GMOs. “We do not expect an objective discussion about GMOs before the elections are over.” Launching the debate on GMOs Science Minister Annette Schavan said: “Up to today there is no scientific evidence for health or ecological damage from biotech.” But anti GMO campaigners disagree and want more probes. “We want a research programme that really tackles the ecological questions with genetic technology,” said Olaf Tschimpke, president of environmentalist pressure group NABU. “We need research which environmental and nature protection groups have helped to formulate which will be accepted by all.” Germany joined France, Austria, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg which have also banned GMO maize farming, despite EU safety approval. The EU Commission, the bloc's executive arm, has said only that it will examine Germany's decision. Worldwide research institutes, including German bodies, have made it difficult for individual countries to restrain GMOs because repeated studies say biotech is safe, analysts said. “This lack of a negative study on GMO dangers is a serious problem, basically all the major studies in all countries conclude that GMOs are safe,” said Schraa. “This has not removed concern about GMOs and points to the need for more research.” Kerstin Moench of the German Plant Breeders' Association said the lack of such a study was an enormous problem. “In Germany alone we have had research into GMO safety for over 10 years with over 20 million euros of state support. Not one of around 100 projects in Germany has come to a negative conclusion on GMO safety.” Udo Folgart, vice president of German farmers' association DBV, said the German public's concern about GMOs was reflected in strict purchasing practices of almost all large food companies in Germany, which together with retailers demand GMO-free supplies. Almost all animal feed contains GMO soybean meal but meat from such animals does not have to be labelled as GMO. GMOs were also widely used in food additives but this low content level avoided a GMO labelling. But the ballot box is likely still to prove a stumbling block for an industry armed with sheaves of studies pointing towards the safety of its products. “As long as nothing changes in the legal framework and consumers' reservations about biotech (remain), no large scale cultivation of GMOs is likely in Germany,” Folgart said.
