Challenging accepted potato genetics through independent research
Activists Plan to Pressure NRW State Government Over Genetic Engineering Exemption
Activists in Düsseldorf are set to deliver postcards urging the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state government to actively oppose European Union plans to exempt new genetic engineering from risk assessments and labeling requirements.
Anne Mommertz from the Düsseldorf Food Council emphasized the coalition agreement of the Black-Green party, which promises to make NRW the number one consumer protection country. Mommertz stated, "We will remind Minister of Economics Mona Neubaur, Minister of Agriculture Silke Gorißen, and Minister of the Environment Oliver Krischer of this promise."
The demonstration will make stops at the individual ministries along its route, emphasizing each department's responsibility regarding genetic engineering. In light of the Bayer Corporation, a leading player in the genetic engineering sector, headquartered in North Rhine-Westphalia, and local farmers' rights to protect their crops from contamination with genetically modified varieties, the environment's preservation from irreversible cross-pollination is crucial.
Mommertz highlighted the NRW state government's power to influence the issue. "The NRW state politics also has options for action. It maintains a liaison office in Brussels, has considerable influence in the Bundesrat, and can raise its voice at the Environment Ministers' Conference."
The "Action Alliance against Genetic Engineering in and around Düsseldorf" comprises organizations such as the Düsseldorf Food Council, NABU Düsseldorf local group, NaturFreunde Düsseldorf, organic farms, Gerresheim Sustainably, Solawi Düsseldorf, Ökotop Heerdt, Association for the Preservation of Plant Genetic Resources, BUND Wuppertal district group, Future Forge Alliance W-Nord, and the Coordination against BAYER Dangers.
While no specific current actions or positions of the NRW state government regarding the EU plans have been reported, scientific research and policy in NRW and Germany support the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence and increased funding for alternatives to animal experimentation [3][5]. However, these developments are indirectly related to the topic at hand and do not significantly influence the activists' call for opposition to the EU plans.
Science plays a crucial role in the activists' campaign, as they seek evidence to strengthen their arguments against the EU's plans to exempt new genetic engineering from risk assessments and labeling. Moreover, health-and-wellness and environmental-science are integral concerns, especially with the preservation of the environment from irreversible cross-pollination being a primary focus for the activists.
