European Union Regulation: Now that we have discussed both the advantages and disadvantages that may effect the United States regulation, we will compare a different response to GMOs using another developed society.
•European public resistance to GM soybean:
•Upon the first GM maize and soybean entering Europe from America, instant resistance was met by groups against engineered foods. (Levidow, Carr, Wield)
•These groups began to get an immense amount of media coverage; this resulted in many different countries talking about the risks involving engineered foods. (Levidow, Carr, Wield)
•Governments had to reevaluate the issues involving GM plants due to the problems that they officially resolved or dismissed being brought up again by the people (Levidow, Carr, Wield).
•EU ban GM products: During this period, the European Union didn’t approve of any GM products.
•Since this meant that other countries couldn’t sell their products in Europe, this created a problem with the World Trade Organization (Onusic).
•Although the European Union lifted the ban due to pressure from the WTO, members of the EU were still able to ban GMOs from their Country (Onusic)
•GM products in the European Union:
•Although many European Union countries have declared themselves “gmo-free”, others continue to have strict regulations of GMOs including “requiring extensive testing, labeling, traceability and monitoring of agricultural products” (Onusic).
