BREAKING: Germany Follows Scotland’s Lead And Opts To Ban GMOs [1]
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New rules implemented by the European Union now allow individual member states to block farmers from using GM organisms [3], even if the variety has been approved on an EU-wide basis. As TrueActivist [4]shared before, Scotland was quick to take up that opportunity [5].
To “preserve the country’s clean and green brand,” Scotland chose to ‘opt out’ of growing GMO crops [5]. And now, Germany is following suit.
As Independent.UK reports [6], Germany has begun taking the steps necessary to ban the use of all genetically modified (GM) crops. [7]
According to Christian Schmidt, Germany’s agriculture minister, Germany will persist with its previously-announced ban on GM crops [8], which made headlines on the 24th of August.
At present, EU countries have until October 3, 2015, to inform the commission if they intend to opt out [9] of the bloc-wide approvals. Will more countries join Scotland and Germany? Many suspect, ‘yes.’
“The German [10] decision shows that Scotland [11] is now also leading Europe on GM crops,” said SNP’s Rob Gibson.
Controversy [12] concerning the safety and/or necessity of GMOs [13] persists. But while the debate rages on, countries like Germany and Scotland are not going to idly sit by while the effects posed by long-term consumption [14] of GM foods is discovered.
This move makes Germany one of between 64-74 countries (at biotech’s [15]admission) that has currently instated some type of ban or mandatory labeling [16] requirements.
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