Poland is amongst the most prolific growers of genetically modified foods in the European Union, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.

The year 2008 saw about three thousand hectares of land used to grow plants for GMO food production – nine times as much as in 2007.

The Polish government, who stands vocally against the production of GMOs, has admitted that it does not control the situation, as there are no current regulations enabling the crops to be monitored.

Proposed legislation concerning limits on GMO production will be put forward in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, in March.

“The government needs to impose crop regulation as soon as possible,” says the former Polish Minister of Agriculture, Krzysztof Jurgiel, adding that the situation may not get so out of control as to be unmanageable.

Although the Polish government, and Polish public opinion, condemns the genetically modified food, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had to lift the ban on growing such crops introduced by his predecessors, as Poland did not make a thoroughly convincing argument to Brussels that GMOs can prove harmful.

The matter is still being discussed in the European Court of Justice. (is/mmj)

(Source: tvn24.pl)