Are there any countries in which genetically modified foods are banned?

Answer 1

Countries that have full or partial bans of GMOs are:

• Germany: Growing all GMO crops is banned.

• Ireland: Growing all GMO crops is banned; has voluntary GM food labeling.

• Austria: GMO crops and the sale of GM foods are banned.

• Greece: GMO crops and the sale of GM foods are banned.

• Hungary: GMO crops and the sale of GM foods are banned.

• Luxembourg: GMO crops and the sale of GM foods are banned.

• Bulgaria: GMO crops and the sale of GM foods are banned.

• France: Growing GM crops is banned.

• Madeira: The island country off of Portugal banned growing GMO crops in 2010.

• Switzerland: Growing of all GM crops was banned in 2005. The ban was extended through 2013. The current status is not known.

• Mexico: Planting of all GM corn and all commercial test plots was banned in 2013 through an order of the Twelfth Federal District Court to the Mexican government. Current status of this ban is not known.

• Japan: Japanese law bans all GM seeds from being planted in the country, but canola is imported from Canada, which is one of the world's top producers of GM canola. As a result, Monsanto's GM canola is now growing wild around 5 of 6 ports that were tested for GMO contamination and roads leading to major food oil companies.

• Australia: GMO crops are banned in South Australia and Tasmania.

• Australians have been successful in banning GMO crops from being grown in South Australia and in Tasmania.

• New Zealand: All GMO food is banned from being grown in the country.

• Venezuela: Cultivation of GMO seeds is banned. In 2014, the Venezuelan government passed legislation updating the Law on Seeds, Products for Animal Production and Biological Inputs, which effectively banned the cultivation of GMO seeds. In addition, Venezuela's 1999 Constitution Article 127 prevents patents of the genome of any living organism.

• Brazil: Though Brazil is a big producer of GMOs, smaller growers are pushing to ban GMOs. Any food with more than 1% genetically modified ingredients must be labeled as a GMO-containing product.

• India: GM eggplant was banned just before it was scheduled to begin being planted in 2010, but planting of Monsanto's GM cotton was encouraged with reported disasterous results. Current status is not known.

• Thailand: Has no ban on GMO crops, but they are working to reduce their use of GMO papayas due to contamination of other cropland that showed in field trials.

• Georgia: In December 2013, importing of GMO seeds was banned without a special license to import them. The country's Environment Minister Khatuna Gogaladze stated: "The purpose of the bill is to create a single state system of bio safety that will regulate the use of living genetically modified organisms."

• United States: Though the federal government has no bans on GMOs and does not require labeling of foods containing GMO ingredients, some counties in California and other states have passed bans on growing GM crops.

The above information was listed in September 2014.

Answer 2

When countries ban genetically engineered food, it is often because they are concerned about safety, both to the environment and to the health of animals and people.