German producers have decided to feed their poultry genetically engineered soybeans, which biotech proponents say bodes well for transgenic crops in Europe. German farmers have broken their promise not to feed poultry genetically engineered soybeans, which biotech supporters see as a step in the right direction. A conglomerate of German poultry associations known as ZDG has announced poultry producers are backing away from their 14-year commitment to using only non-GE soybeans.
The decision came as the result of reduced supplies and higher prices for non-GE soybeans, according to reports from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Non-GE soybeans have traded at prices up to 30 percent higher than biotech soybeans and Brazil — a major soybean producer — is expected to reduce the size of its non-GE crop, according to FAS. It’s also getting harder for German farmers to guarantee that they feed poultry non-GE soybeans due to the prevalence of cross-pollinated biotech traits in the conventional crop, the report said.
The situation in Germany reflects a broader economic reality as major exporters turn to more biotech crops, said Mary Boote, CEO of Truth about Trade & Technology, a non-profit that supports GE crops. “It’s become a sustainability issue and a market reality,” said Boote.
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