Austria: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

While acceptance of innovative biotechnologies is gaining some traction within informed stakeholder groups, Austria continues to be one of the leading forces in Europe opposed to the use of agricultural biotechnology. Anti-biotech NGOs, farmer organizations, the food-processing sector, and the retail sector all campaign against genetically engineered agricultural and food products. Soybeans and soybean products for feed use are the only major genetically engineered products imported by Austria. The Austrian government strongly opposes the EU Commission’s proposal of the regulation of “new genomic techniques (NGTs)” to allow for easier market access for products deriving from “NGTs.”