EU: The first harvest of the Amflora potato
(2 Septembre 2010) Since March 2010 the first
genetically modified (GM) potato, Amflora, is approved in the EU. This week its
first harvest began in Germany. In spite of on-site protests German Federal
Minister of Economics and Technology, Rainer Brüderle, pulled up the first
tubers from the 14 hectares big field in Northern Germany.
According to press releases by BASF Plant Science, the
Minister pointed out to the farmers how important the contribution of
biotechnology was for a sufficient provision with renewable resources.
In the two days following the event, 3000 tonnes of potatoes were harvested and
shall subsequently be used for seed propagation. The Amflora field in Germany's
region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the only area in Germany where the
potato was planted in 2010.
There had been many protests against the cultivation of Amflora. After the
planting in April environmental associations and opposition parties demanded of
Ilse Aigner, the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, to suspend the
EU approval of the crop and ban the cultivation in Germany. In July, one hectare
of the field was destroyed by protesters against plant genetic engineering,
another attempt was prevented. One week before the harvest started Till
Backhaus, the local State Minister of Agriculture, again demanded a ban on
cultivation.
Meanwhile, BASF Plant Science submitted a further application for approval of a
GM crop to the EU, again for a starch potato, this time called Amadea. Like
Amflora, Amadea produces only the  amylopectin compound of
starch and is meant to complement and later replace the cultivation of Amflora.
The new thing about Amadea is the fact that additionally to its function as raw
material it could also be used for food production. BASF reckons with a market
launch of the product for the season 2013/14.
See also on GMO Compass:
Further information:
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