Last year, across the globe, 17 million farmers sowed billions of genetically engineered seeds in more than 420 million acres of arable land, amounting to about 12% of all arable land on the Earth. This amount of land could entirely cover, with excess, the countries of France, Germany, Italy, and all of the U.K. But, you won’t find many farmers planting GM crops in these countries.
That’s because many farmers in Europe aren’t legally allowed to.
Any seed company that wants to sell GE seeds in these countries must first get approval from the European Food Safety Authority; those brave enough to start the process face a nearly impenetrable wall of bureaucratic resistance, arguably violating the rights to property, production and trade for all stakeholders.
Read the full, original story here: European Union tramples rights of GMO growers (#GMOMonday)
