What the approval of GM potato Amflora in Europe means to growers

Last month the EU Commission approved a second GM crop for cultivation in the EU.

First plantings of Amflora, for seed production, are expected in Germany and the Czech Republic this spring. Other countries with a starch potato industry include France, Denmark, Holland, Poland, Sweden, Austria and Finland.

But Amflora is unlikely to be grown in the UK because our industrial starch is produced from other sources.

On the face of it, the new policy would appear to be good news for further approvals. While the likelihood of the European agricultural ministers agreeing in the medium term on an approval, it appears the EU Commission is willing to approve a trait stuck in the political quagmire if EFSA has deemed it safe.

But there is opposition from a number of quarters, including individual governments, as well as NGOs, which makes swift approvals unlikely.

However, the ability to decide whether to grow GM crops at individual country level is a sensible one on the basis EU agricultural ministers remain unlikely to come to a qualified majority on the issue.

Some countries remain firmly opposed to the cultivation of GM crops, arguing that they could reduce biodiversity and natural resistance to pests and disease. They are concerned that it could be hard to stop cross-pollination with non-GM crops.

Austria, Italy, Malta, and Bulgaria objected to the decision over Amflora. Austria said it would ban cultivation of the potato within its borders, while France said it would ask an expert panel for further research.

Related PotatoPro Newsletter: The History and Future of GM Potatoes