Reopening GMO rules would be a dangerous waste of time and money

The authors argue that the EU's current GMO legislation is fit for purpose and that attempts by the agrifood industry to deregulate 'new breeding techniques' undermine the precautionary principle. They contend that genetic engineering does not solve hunger or environmental crises, suggesting instead that resources should be redirected toward agroecology and the development of resilient, low-input conventional breeds.

• The European Court of Justice ruled on July 25, 2018, that organisms created through directed mutagenesis are classified as GMOs and must adhere to the obligations of the EU GMO Directive.
• The agrifood industry is pushing to reopen GMO rules to bypass public opposition and capitalize on a global GM seeds market valued at 20.07 billion US dollars in 2018.
• Current EU regulations allow for GMOs, with approximately 70 authorized for food and feed, though only one GM maize variety is authorized for cultivation; nineteen member states have exercised their right to ban its cultivation.
• The authors claim that genetic engineering fails to address hunger, environmental degradation, or the needs of small farmers, as these tools are patented and costly, increasing farmer dependency on the agro-chemical industry.
• There are indications of political movement toward deregulation, including a draft Council request from the Finnish Presidency for a study on new plant breeding techniques and mentions of the issue in a leaked draft of the 'Farm to Fork' strategy.

APA

Leroux, J., & Ajena, F. (2019). Reopening GMO rules would be a dangerous waste of time and money. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/reopening-gmo-rules-would-be-a-dangerous-waste-of-time-and-money/

Chicago

Leroux, Juliette, and Francesco Ajena. Reopening GMO rules would be a dangerous waste of time and money. Green European Journal, 2019. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/reopening-gmo-rules-would-be-a-dangerous-waste-of-time-and-money/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Leroux |first1=Juliette |last2=Ajena |first2=Francesco |title=Reopening GMO rules would be a dangerous waste of time and money |publisher=Green European Journal |date=25 November 2019 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/reopening-gmo-rules-would-be-a-dangerous-waste-of-time-and-money/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{leroux2019reopening, author = {Leroux, Juliette and Ajena, Francesco}, title = {{Reopening GMO rules would be a dangerous waste of time and money}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/reopening-gmo-rules-would-be-a-dangerous-waste-of-time-and-money/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }