As long as there are people for whom GMOs and new genomic techniques are one and the same, we will vote “abstain”, the agriculture minister told a parliamentary session
Bulgaria will continue to vote “abstain” in the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council until it has concrete evidence to vote “against” or in favor of the draft regulation. Thus the Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev answered last night at a meeting of the agricultural commission to a question of the MP from ITN Dragomir Petrov. In his question, the deputy notes that the Bulgarian MEPs voted in the parliament “against” and “abstained” the draft regulation on NGT.
The minister recalled the forums organized so far on the topic of NGT, which started from September 19, 2023.
However, Kiril Vatev believes that it is too early for a sociological study, because people continue to confuse genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with new genomic techniques (NGT). And this is not only in our country, but throughout Europe. Although the EU pursues overly ambitious green policies, it continues to import soybean meal from Latin America and the US to feed animals, noted Kiril Vatev.
“In order to have enough correct and reliable information about NGT in Bulgaria, we must have accumulated scientific information with statistics, analyzes and evaluation. Since NGTs are too new and have not entered our country, unlike other countries such as Japan and the USA, we are currently unable to refer to Bulgarian data.”
The minister believes that it is neither credible nor correct to repeat to various public groups the suggestion that “we will be poisoned and killed with GMOs”, such as NGT.
“The scientific information that I follow says the opposite,” he interjected.
Minister Vatev informed that the big dispute in the EU is about patents – lest someone monopolize certain varieties through the new genomic techniques. “We explicitly mention that we also want small breeding companies to be able to participate. Some world-renowned scientists comment that this is the future of organic agriculture. But so far no one has proven beyond doubt whether NGTs bring harm or are the future. That is why Bulgaria abstained from voting on the draft regulation.”
Prof. Hristo Daskalov also asked to speak:
Either science or conventional production with pesticides
“Bulgaria took the right position, and from now on the right thing for us will be to take a look at what a very important institution in the EU – the European Food Safety Authority – has collected. There are panels there, and if any of you have some time, you can see what people write in those panels. These are world-renowned scientists who plow the deep plowing in science and move the world forward. And these people make these laws. If any of the politicians imagines that they can make a law without scientists first plowing the ground to prepare this law, they are simply lying very badly. Because if we are slaves to standing still and sticking to the old and the familiar, actually… You know, we’re very proud to have banned GMOs. And we banned (can you imagine what a wild thing we did in 2009) we even banned scientific research in Bulgaria. This was absolute idiocy – finally get your scientists to stop doing this stuff. Do you remember Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno and so on? No one can stop scientific progress. Yes, we can refrain in the given case, but in no case should we reject the opportunity to properly inform the public. We’re on the verge of making a blunder again… you know? Conventional production is pesticide-heavy production, and as a professor of food safety, I will tell you that no one has said that GMO plants cause changes, but everyone agrees that pesticides increase cancer. If you want us to have more cancers, let’s continue on this path and not introduce anything new.”
Immediately after Prof. Daskalov’s supportive speech, Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev took the floor again:
By banning scientific research on GMOs, Bulgarian scientists began working in the most elite laboratories
“We were #1 in the world before we banned GMO research. When we were admitted to the EU, the Agrobio-Institute was in first place. But we know how to destroy ourselves. All Bulgarian scientists who are students of Academician Atanasov are currently in the world’s most elite laboratories and in the most elite seed houses in the world, because we forbade them to practice their profession here. No matter which country you look for, you will find a Bulgarian geneticist. Because we are very smart and because we have driven all the brain capital out of here. Prof. Milena Uzunova, who works at KWS, participated in one of the conferences. The motor of this company is called Milena Uzunov, named Germany’s No. 1 scientist by all foreign scientists. Rumyana Tsenkova is in Japan. This woman is developing an entirely new branch of world water science. The best wheat breeder in Russia is Bulgarian. Turkey buys our three best wheat varieties. Our best sunflower variety is in France. Because we don’t value science and people. I have witnessed how from the world’s most famous agricultural institute in Wageningen, the Netherlands, there was not a day when they did not call him and consult with Academician Atanasov. At the same time, the Netherlands, which has 2.5 times less territory than us, is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world after the United States.”
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