Sarkozy: "We have doubts over the benefits for human health and the environment of GMOs." Photo: Jean-Louise Aubert/Wikipedia

"We have doubts about the control over the dissemination of GMOs ... we have doubts over the benefits for human health and the environment of GMOs." The President added that he did not want to oppose the EU, which approves of GM crops. Therefore, GM crop plantings would be put on hold until a new authority, to be created later this year, can provide the government with further information.

The French agrochemical association, the UIPP, criticises the President's move as giving in to "fear and falsehoods" and abandoning scientific reason. The UIPP dismisses his "doubts" about GM crops in light of the decision by 10 million farmers worldwide to plant GM crops this year. The planting of GM crops, which has totalled 30,000 ha in France, has been free from "problems of dissemination" between GM and conventional crops, it says. All major scientific authorities have underlined the benefits of GM crops while citing the absence of human health or environmental risks, it adds. The UIPP also points to the EU's backing of GM crops.

"The Invisible Revolution" Watch the video The European biotechnology association, EuropaBio, slams the decision to suspend commercial cultivation of GM crops in the country

The European biotechnology association, EuropaBio, also slams the decision to suspend commercial cultivation of GM crops in the country. The move is contrary to scientific evidence produced by the French agency for health and food security, the AFSSA, and the general European approval system; and "overwhelming scientific evidence and positive commercial experience of biotech crops" globally, EuropaBio says. It will "greatly damage" the competitiveness of French farmers, the association argues.

President Sarkozy's resolution violates EU law, EuropaBio points out. It cites EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel on the "illegality of a ban on biotech crops in France" and EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas' call on President Sarkozy to withdraw the temporary ban. France has a history of breaching EU rules over GM crops. It was four years late in transposing the EU GMO registration Directive (2001/18) into national law and was fined accordingly (Agrow No 517, p 13).

Grapes in a French vinyeard. France is reportedly the world's second-largest exporter of agrifoodstuffs. The total value of its agricultural production is running at about €63 billion, 23% of the total EU production. Agriculture now accounts for 2.3% of value added to the GDP www.agriculture.gouv.fr Photo: Samuel Rosa

EuropaBio also points to the demand for GM crops among French farmers. In 2006, GM maize plantings rose by 70% over the previous year, it notes. Earlier this year, the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service found the country's farmers determined to plant GM crops despite obstacles, such as vandalism. They planted around 1,000 ha of GM maize in 2006 (Agrow No 489, p 10). The growing GM crop trend, now abruptly halted by President Sarkozy's decision, was expected to triple the country's GM maize area to 15,000 ha by the end of this year (Agrow No 507, p 12).

The government's move against GM crops in France follows calls to cut pesticide use in the country in August (Agrow No 426, p 12). Furthermore, the Ministries of Health, Ecology, Agriculture and Economics have proposed a law that aims to halve the sales of 47 active ingredients by 2009 (Agrow ibid). In combination, these developments may leave French farmers with ever fewer crop protection options, industry representatives warns.

The international industry association, CropLife International, "believes the suggestion of the French government on pesticide usage and biotech crops will damage productivity and sustainable agriculture in France." It states that the combined moves will harm farmers' competitiveness "by removing the very tools that help them produce."

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It points to the acceptance and benefits of agrochemicals and biotechnology worldwide amidst growing pressure on agriculture to produce more with fewer resources due to population growth. "The suggestion of reducing pesticides while simultaneously proposing a moratorium on advanced biotechnologies that require fewer pesticides is not rational," CropLife concludes. It calls on the French government to abandon the idea and preserve farmers' right to choose technologies that ensure their competitiveness.

The majority of French people are in favour of GM crops, as a recent survey by the national seed association and the national maize association found.

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