Industry Undersecretary Adolfo Urso urged the European Union on Thursday to step up research on genetically modified organisms (OGM), especially GM biofuels derived from food products. Addressing a EU meeting on ways of boosting competition in the food and agriculture sector, Urso said it was a mistake to be either ''ideologically in favour or against GMOs''.'' ''We need to be responsible and far sighted,'' said Urso.
''I don't see why not promote important research on GMOs, especially for use as biofuels''. But Urso stressed that genetic experimentation should not be carried out in areas used for traditional crops, saying ''we need firm rules on this''.
The minister's stance sparked an immediate reaction in Italy, where the issue of transgenic crops is particularly explosive.
The traditional stance of the Italian government has long been one of blanket opposition to biotech products in any form and Gianni Alemanno, agriculture minister in the previous centre-right government was a staunch defender of traditional crops.
The centre-left President of the Tuscan region, Claudio Martini, said he '' missed Alemanno'' and reminded Urso that Italy's 20 regions have the ''sole legal right to decide how their farm land is used''.
In 2005, parliament approved a law aimed at preventing the contamination of conventional and organic products by GM crops.
The law bans the cultivation of GM crops in open fields, permitting only restricted and protected testing of such organisms.
GM seeds must be kept strictly separated from conventional seeds and farmers whose crops are accidentally contaminated can claim compensation. The law also gives regional governments the right t decide whether GM crops are allowed at a local level. Nearly all of the country's 20 regions have implemented legislation against GM crops.
As the largest producer of organic crops in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, there is a widespread fear of the potential damage resulting from accidental GM contamination.
Martini said that Italian agriculture was unique ''and had no need of a scheme which would make its production similar to everyone else's''.
Farmers' association Coldiretti has estimated that the introduction of GM crops would result in a 60% drop in exports, costing organic farmers six billion euros in lost profits.
A 2007 poll by the National Food and Nutrition Research Institute found that 82% of Italy's farmers would refuse to grow GM crops on their land if given the choice, while eight out of ten consumers distrust them, describing them as ''less natural''.
