Petition against agro-genetic engineering successful

Petition against agro-genetic engineering successful: over 65,000 votes for approval stop of gene plants

19/04/2011

More than 65,000 citizens have signed the petition against agro-genetic engineering of the Federation of Organic Food Industry (BÖLW) in the last three weeks. Thus, the petition calling for a licensing moratorium on GM crops is the most successful public petition against agro-genetic engineering in Germany and one of the few petitions that have gained at least 50,000 supporters since 2005. With this result she meets the requirements for a public hearing in the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag. The main criticism of GM opponents is the inadequate and inadequate licensing practice of gene plants in the EU. "The great popularity shows that people do not want any further risk technology in which the agricultural industry and politics tell us today that it is safe and necessary for progress," said Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, petitioner and CEO of BÖLW.

The criticisms of the petition will Felix Prince zu Löwenstein at the public hearing before the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag personally speak and discuss with the politicians. Löwenstein criticizes the fact that the responsible European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) does not commission independent investigations. It only checks the studies carried out by the agro-industry itself. In addition, meaningful, independent long-term studies were missing: "Brussels and the federal government want to bring gene plants on our fields, which were not properly examined," said the petitioner. The date for the hearing is determined by the Petitions Committee and is not yet known.

Every year 18,000 to 19,000 petitions are submitted to the German Bundestag. In 2005, the public petitions were introduced, which can also be drawn online. Since then, only eleven petitions have reached the number of at least 50,000 supporters in the first three weeks of the subscription period, which are usually crucial for a public hearing. The petition of the BÖLW against agro-genetic engineering is now the twelfth public petition, which could win enough signatories in this period.
The collection of signatures for the petition of the BÖLW has not yet been completed when the hearing has been reached: the public petition with Pet-ID 16941 and the title "Zulassungsbegrenzung / regionale Cultivation ban for genetically modified plants "to be signed: The online drawing is possible on the petitions website of the German Bundestag.

The BÖLW petition is supported by the Vielfalterleben initiative, which has been campaigning against agro-genetic engineering and preserving diversity since the beginning of the year. The initiative was initiated by Alnatura and, with more than 140 partners in the fields of environmental and consumer protection, food production, processing and trade, is one of the largest alliances against agro-genetic engineering to date. The initiative's website contains extensive information on agro-genetic engineering, the importance of diversity in nature and its threat, and a guide to drawing the petition. Likewise, the petition form can be downloaded there, with which the petition can also be signed by hand. (Pm)

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Picture: Ernst Rose