Fischler: GM Soybean Vital to Egg Producers in Europe

Former European Union commissioner Franz Fischler said that halting imports of GM soybean would be detrimental for Europe's egg producers. He mentioned this warning during the International Egg Commission conference held in Vienna, Austria. Fischler was the EU agriculture commissioner from 1995 to 1999.

"Europe is very weak in soya production or other protein plants, so most of the protein is imported," he discussed. Nearly two thirds of the protein plants used in Europe were soybean and more than 90 percent of that was imported, he added.

"It is clear that we in Europe would have to stop production if we couldn't import any more genetically modified soya products. This is absolutely clear. Anything else is an illusion," he said to the delegates of the conference. "I know that some, especially unfortunately in my own country (Austria), say we need a total ban on genetically modified products, but the consequence would be that we would import the eggs and the poultry instead of the feeding stuffs. That, for some of you, would be perfect, but for European producers it would be a catastrophe."

Read more at http://www.europabio.org/news/supplies-gm-soya-are-vital-egg-producers-europe and http://www.farminguk.com/news/Conference-told-that-supplies-of-GM-soya-are-vital-to-egg-producers_29907.html.