Workshop C5: Exchange of experiences of farmers unions on gene technology in the farming sector

Saturday, 25th April 2009, between 9.00 and 11.30 a.m.

Chair and moderator:

Karin Gafner, Swiss Farmers Union

Speakers:

1: Hansjörg Hassler, Swiss National Councillor and Board Member of the Swiss Farmers Union
2: Georg Wimmer, Deputy General Secretary of the Bavarian Farmers Union
3: Franziska Troesch-Schnyder, President of the Konsumentenforum (Consumers‘ Forum), Switzerland

Outline:

The impact of green gene technology on the farming sector is greater than on any other population group. In Europe, neither society at general nor agriculture can agree on how to proceed from here.  Now as before, discussion of this matter stirs deep passions and it has lost none of its topicality.
In 2005, the Swiss voted in favour of a five-year moratorium. This is now due to be extended for a further three years. It is as yet unclear what will come after this. At the end of the day, the Swiss public will have to reach some sort of decision.  
How is the farming sector dealing with this question? What will our strategy be in the years to come? And what are our neighbours doing? These and other related questions will be discussed with representatives of national and regional farmers unions. The exchange of views regarding possible strategies will serve to highlight the likely prospects for the future.

Programme:

Contributions
(1) Hansjörg Hassler, The situation in Switzerland and the moratorium
 The path to the moratorium, extending it, the views of and challenges facing farmers, ...
Presentation: Grüne Gentechnologie in der Schweiz – Aktuelle Situation und Moratorium (pdf, 475 KB, German)


(2) Georg Wimmer, The situation in Bavaria
-  Deciding factors amongst producers, measures, possible strategies, …
Presentation: Gentechnik in der Landwirtschaft Landwirtschaft, Situation in Bayern (pdf, 3,4 MB, German)

(3) Franziska Troesch-Schnyder, The consumers’ point of view
-  Unanswered questions, freedom of choice, …
Presentation: Die Sicht einer Konsumentenorganisation (pdf, 25 KB, German)


(4) Discussion and exchange regarding strategies adopted by the farming sector and prospects for the future 
(5) Short summary

Background and literature

www.sbv-usp.ch/de/positionen/gentechnologie/

EnglishFranceDeutsch