Basel, Switzerland
March 16, 2005
By Robert Derham,
Checkbiotech
Now that the EU has started to
slowly hoist its sails to catch the global biotech wind,
Switzerland finds itself at a crossroad with genetic
engineering. In 2004, the
Swiss government voted in favor of allowing
field trials with genetically modified wheat to go ahead.
They followed that up by
rejecting a referendum that would have called for a
moratorium on the cultivation of GM crops for another five
years.
Keeping pace with 2004, the Swiss government rejected the
people’s initiative, planned for the coming fall ballot. The
majority of the Swiss Cabinet called the initiative “redundant”
and “lined with false accusations.”
The government called attention to
extensive labelling and genetic engineering laws, termed
Gen-Lex, that have been put into place that ensure against the
misuse of biotechnology.
The government reinforced that the Gen-Lex laws are not confined
to a national level, but extend to international levels as well.
A symposium put on by Swissaid in Berne, “Biotechnology in
Agriculture – a chronicle of a promised catastrophe?” offered a
comprehensive discussion for proponents and opponents alike,
regarding the upcoming initiative.
In the fall of this year, Swiss citizens will have the chance to
vote on an initiative that would prevent the use of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) for agricultural purposes for another
five years.
The initiative was launched in September 2003, when around two
dozen farmer organizations, consumer rights and environmental
groups started gathering the over 120,000 needed signatures to
file the initiative.
Alternative Sought
Batienne Joerchel from Swissaid,
who endorses the initiative, told Swissinfo, “We are not against
biotechnology research, rather we are against its commercial
use.”
According to Joerchel, ethical questions regarding GMOs still
remain unanswered. “It still has not been proven that GMOs have
a positive effect on agriculture and the environment.”
Joerchel is convinced that, “The Moratorium presents a good
opportunity to consider biotechnology, and at the same time to
search for alternative solutions.”
No Negative Signs
The Switzerland’s WTO ambassador
Luzius Wachescha sees the situation completely differently,
however. To adopt the initiative would send a very negative
signal.
“A moratorium damages the Swiss reputation in the research
community and compromises Switzerland’s competitiveness,“
declared Wachescha to Swissinfo. “The debate should not be
determined by widespread fears.”
“Other countries do not
have a choice.”
According to Andrew Bennet,
Director of the Syngenta Foundation for sustainable agriculture,
Switzerland finds itself in a very privileged situation.
“Tomorrow, Switzerland could completely phase out farming and
import everything,” he told Swissinfo.
Bennet continued with, “Other countries, who are confronted with
diseases and a lack of food, do not have this freedom to choose
when it comes to genetically modified food.”
However, according to Bennet, the use of GMOs should be a free
choice, and should not come about due to pressure.
This article contains some translated content from reporting
by Andrea Clementi and Doris Lucini, from Swissinfo. |
