More than 160 participants from 23 countries and four continents made the high relevance of the international non-GMO industry very clear at the ‘International Non-GMO Summit 2024’ in Frankfurt on 7 and 8 October 2024 . Organisers, speakers and stakeholders from the entire non-GMO value chain agreed to continue the fight for freedom of choice and transparency and to face the current challenges arising from the EU Commission's proposed deregulation of new genomic techniques (NGT).
Speakers and organisers are pleased with the successful exchange at the second International Non-GMO Summit. Photo: Nina Werth
‘The non-GMO sector is here to stay!’
Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of VLOG e.V. (Verband Lebensmittel Ohne Gentechnik), had a clear message for the international audience right at the start of the summit: ‘The non-GMO sector is here to stay!’ On behalf of the organisers, Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG), ARGE Gentechnik-frei, Donau Soja, European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) and ProTerra Foundation, he emphasised that the markets for products without genetic engineering are economically very successful due to high market demand. The organisers are convinced that NGTs, like all other GMOs, must be strictly regulated. ‘We are determined to meet the current political and market challenges,’ explained Hissting.
VLOG managing director Alexander Hissting during his opening speech. Photo: Nina Werth
The GMO-free economy is receiving support from the highest political level. In his welcoming address, Dr. István Nagy, the current President of the EU Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, said, ‘I am convinced that the precautionary principle must be applied when new technologies are used and products manufactured with such techniques are introduced into the environment and the food chain. Furthermore, I consider it extremely important to provide consumers with adequate information and to ensure their freedom of choice.’
The German State Secretary Silvia Bender criticises the European Commission's draft regulation on NGT, saying that it does not sufficiently take into account the interests of consumers, farmers and processors. ‘The market for GMO-free products has been growing for years and we want to preserve this added value. To do this, we need functioning coexistence measures, from seed to consumer. Our goal is to find a compromise for a socially accepted approach to the new genetic engineering methods, and we are working on this,’ explained Bender in her welcoming address.
Dr. István Nagy, the current President of the EU Council for Agriculture and Fisheries. Photo: Karin Heinze
Dietmar Vybiral from the Austrian Ministry of Health reported in detail on the current standstill in the negotiations on the planned revision of the GMO legislation in the EU. He explained that the ministers in the EU Council have not yet been able to agree on a common position and that, as a result, the trilogue negotiations between the three main EU institutions cannot yet begin. Vybiral encouraged the summit participants to ‘ask critical questions of their respective governments so that they vote against the deregulation of NGTs. Austria has always stated that NGTs such as GMOs must be regulated. Consequently, all NGT products must undergo an appropriate risk assessment and be labelled, and traceability must be ensured – only in this way can consumers' right to information and their freedom of choice be guaranteed.’
DARWIN-Coordinator Odd-Gunnar Wikmark from the Norwegian research institute NORCE. Photo: Nina Werth
Odd-Gunnar Wikmark from the Norwegian research institute NORCE, which coordinates the European DARWIN project, expressed optimism that transparency could be achieved through detection and traceability methods. His encouraging news is that ‘it is possible to develop reliable detection methods for known NGT variants, and we are confident that we will be able to develop non-targeted detection methods over time.’
Hans-Peter Dejakum, representative of the premium wafer and chocolate manufacturer Loacker from South Tyrol, expressed his conviction of the added value of a GMO-free supply chain. He explained why: ‘We analyse consumer preferences in around 70 countries worldwide and know that our customers appreciate our GMO-free products. Over the last ten years, we have invested heavily in building a credible GMO-free value chain, and we definitely want to continue on this path.' Loacker exports its products with a non-GMO claim to more than 100 countries worldwide and sees its economic success threatened by the deregulation of NGT crops.
„Keep calm and carry on!“
Heike Moldenhauer from the European “Ohne Gentechnik” Association ENGA. Photo: Nina Werth
Heike Moldenhauer, Secretary General of ENGA, summarised the summit on behalf of the organisers with a clear appeal to those present in the non-GMO industry to ‘keep calm and carry on’. The fight for the right to continue producing without GMOs is far from over, said Moldenhauer. There are currently hardly any NGTs on the world markets – none in the EU and only a handful in countries where NGTs are not regulated by law. Therefore, the markets will not be flooded with NGTs in the coming years – as a glance at the current development pipelines of the companies also shows. In addition, the development of audit strategies, research into detection methods and improvements in traceability have picked up speed. Moldenhauer is confident that NGTs can be excluded from GMO-free value chains.
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