European countries must protect farmers, small- and medium-sized seed breeders and the organic and non-genetically modified organism (GMO) sectors from the threats posed to their activities by the deregulation of new GMOs, more than 200 European organisations warned in a statement (https://aeur.eu/f/fg4 ).
These organisations are reacting to the latest compromise proposal by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, published in particular in Agence Europe (see EUROPE 13576/6), on new genomic techniques (NGTs), which they claim aims to “ deregulate new GMOs”.
According to these NGOs, the draft compromise presented “focuses on plant patents while ignoring other critical questions such as traceability, detection and identification, coexistence or potential risks to nature, and human health”. The associations argue that deregulation “will increase the control that just a handful of companies have over seeds, disadvantaging small- and medium-sized breeders, thereby strengthening their corporate grip on farmers”. The concentration of power in the hands of a handful of companies risks weakening the food supply chain and reducing seed diversity. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)