This week, the highly controversial issue of genetically modified organisms (or GMO’s for short) was thrown into the limelight, when members of the European Union proposed a new policy meant to broaden the availability of such foods known to many Europeans as “Frankenfoods.”
The flexibility of this new policy is aimed at enabling countries like the Netherlands and Austria to both grow and trade biotech products. Due to their economies’ reliance on animal farming, both the Dutch and Austrians are looking towards biotech products for a substitute for traditionally costly animal feed.
Currently, only two GMO’s, produced by U.S. agricultural giant Monsanto and the other by German chemical company BASF, are sold for cultivation throughout Europe. Yet despite global objections, including in the U.S. where 53% of Americans object to the production of GMO’s, many foods including salmon, corn and tomatoes are one step closer to being on the market.
Centrally, the global consensus of GMO’s remains wary of the potential environmental and health effects that may result from increased GMO production. Whether the new rules will gain the required approval by European governments remains to be seen and will be discussed by EU agricultural ministers this fall.
Posted by Emma Fursland.
Photo Credit: Greenpeace UK
