In order to evaluate the different conceptual frameworks of GMO-free environmentally sensitive areas and to assess the profile of opinions of people who may be confronted professionally with problems and possible environmental effects of the release of GMOs (especially at local level), a survey was conducted on the basis of the framework outlined in chapter 1. The main focal points of the survey were:
The main target groups of this survey were competent persons in agricultural administration (at the level of the Federal Provinces and the regional Chambers of Agriculture), persons in environmental and/or nature protection administration23 (including the administration of protected areas), teachers at agricultural schools (mainly plant breeding), researchers and scientists (biology, technology assessment, biotechnology), environmental NGOs (environment and nature protection), competent persons within the administration of organic farming (organic farmers' associations, extension service, controlling institutions), politicians (with responsibilities and activities in environment and nature protection at Federal Province level), persons responsible for consumer affairs (Chamber of Labour) and food safety.24
A questionnaire was distributed among 268 experts, who were at the same time personally contacted by phone. After receiving general information, they were asked for their personal opinion (not the opinion of their respective administrative or political institutions). 152 persons responded. The majority of the respondents had a critical view of genetic engineering. 67% defined themselves as critical or very critical towards its agricultural application. Only 14% were in favour of the technology and 19% of the experts defined themselves as slightly critical.
Figure 1:
was rated as a good or very good idea by 78% of the experts. The concept of "GMO-free Alps as a Biosphere Reserve" met with even greater acceptance than the abstract notion of "large, GMO-free ecologically sensitive areas". (Only experts in the field of biotechnology and persons very much in favour of biotechnology disagreed.) However, the response regarding the chances of implementing this concept within the EU framework was not very conclusive since most experts ticked the middle of the rating scale.
Figure 2:
Tabel 1: Recommendations of strategies for assisting organic farming in coping with problems of genetic engineering (multiple responses)
(responding experts n=150) Strategies for assisting organic farming |
num. of answ. |
% of answers | |||
Total | Organic. **n=15 | Agricult. ***n=41 | |||
GE-free production - supported through ÖPUL* |
95 |
14,7 |
62,5 |
73,3 |
46,3 |
GE-free prod.-supported through regional marketing |
91 |
14,1 |
59,9 |
66,7 |
51,2 |
With regard to regions: |
|
|
|
|
|
large, GMO-free areas (e.g. the size of Federal Province) |
87 |
13,4 |
57,2 |
86,7 |
36,6 |
GMO-free areas for breeding and propagating |
86 |
13,3 |
56,6 |
73,3 |
39,0 |
GMO-free areas with >10% proportion organic agric. |
68 |
10,5 |
44,7 |
80,0 |
24,4 |
With regard to costs: |
|
|
|
|
|
Seed industry has to pay for costs of analyses |
64 |
9,9 |
42,1 |
26,7 |
31,7 |
Public budgets have to pay for costs of analyses |
41 |
6,3 |
27,0 |
66,7 |
22,0 |
Other strategies: |
|
|
|
|
|
Legal administered labeling, (seems to be enough) |
39 |
6,0 |
25,7 |
13,3 |
36,6 |
Organic farmers assoc. should conduct test cases |
28 |
4,3 |
18,4 |
13,3 |
14,6 |
Other strategies |
14 |
2,2 |
9,2 |
20,0 |
4,9 |
TOTAL |
647 |
100 |
425,7 |
547 |
339 |
* Austrian Programme on an Environmentally sound and Sustainable Agriculture (Agro-environmental progamme)
** Organic = Organic farmers associations
*** Agricult. = Agricultural administration
During the design of the study and as a result of some face-to-face expert interviews it became obvious that the discussion on deliberate release and placing on the market of GMOs is overlayed by a basic conflict on property rights: whether people who are against deliberate releases and GM foods are entitled to the genetic integrity of their "natural" environment or whether scientists and industry who are in favour of genetic engineering have the right to impose the burden of GMOs on the environment, regardless of obvious evidence of environmental damage.
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