The Swiss are set to vote on the issue of GMO food
Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
An initiative to protect Swiss food from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), backed by 137,000 supporters, has been submitted to the Federal Chancellery in Bern.
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The Food Protection Initiative could force a nationwide vote on the issue after reaching the threshold of 100,000 signatures.
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The initiative demands labeling of genetically modified products and a comprehensive risk assessment for every genetically engineered organism. It also calls for protection of GMO-free agriculture and restrictions on patents.
“People in Switzerland want to continue to decide for themselves what goes on their plate,” said Martin Graf, president of the Association for GMO-Free Food, in a press release.
The initiative is backed by the Association for GMO-Free Food, supported by agricultural, environmental and consumer protection groups including Bio Suisse, Greenpeace, Swissaid, the Swiss-German Association of Small Farmers (Kleinbauern-Vereinigung) and the Swiss Alliance for GMO-Free Agriculture (SAG).
The alliance aims to protect agriculture and consumers from the potential risks of genetic engineering by establishing clear guidelines.
Although the Swiss parliament only last year extended the moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms, which has been in effect since 2005, until the end of 2030, the initiators see their proposal as being at exactly the right time.
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Anti‑GMO farming campaign gathers 133,000 signatures in Switzerland
Adapted from German by AI/mga
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