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Regulation of Gmos

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Patent aufs Leben – Dinh Le Khanh Duy

Biotechnologie ist nach der Definition der Organisation für wirtschaftliche
Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung „die Anwendung von Wissenschaft und Technik auf lebende Organismen, als auch auf ihren Teilen, Produkten und Modellen, zur
Veränderung von lebenden oder nichtlebenden Material zur Erweiterung des
Wissensstandes, zur Herstellung von Gütern und zur Bereitstellung von
Dienstleistungen“ (OECD 2015). Die Biotechnologie wird in drei Bereiche rote
Biotechnologie, weiße Biotechnologie und grüne Biotechnologie geteilt. Die rote
Biotechnologie, auch medizinische Biotechnologie, umfasst die Forschung und
Entwicklung von therapeutischen und diagnostischen Verfahren zum Zwecke der
Medizin. Die weiße Biotechnologie findet ihren Anwendungsraum in der Industrie wieder. In industriellen Produktionsprozessen werden biotechnische Verfahren verwendet, um die Fähigkeit von Mikroorganismen, Zellen oder Enzymen zu nutzen,
Substanzen herzustellen, abzubauen oder umzubauen. Die grüne Biotechnologie ist der Einsatz biotechnologischer Verfahren in der Landwirtschaft und wird auch
Agrarbiotechnologie genannt. Ein wichtiger Bereich daraus ist die grüne Gentechnik.
Dieser
Zweig der Forschung spezifiziert sich besonders in die Pflanzengenomforschung. Hier wird meist das Erbgut von Pflanzen modifiziert, um eine hohe Herbizidresistenz und Insektenresistenz zu entwickeln.
Große Diskussionen über das Thema der grünen Gentechnik begannen mit dem weltweit berühmten Schmeiser gegen Monsanto Fall. Der heute 84-jährige kanadische
Landwirt Percy Schmeiser und Träger des Right Livelihood Award ist bekannt für seine
Gerichtsprozesse gegen das internationale Chemieunternehmen Monsanto. 1998 wurde Percy Schmeiser von Monsanto angeklagt, gentechnisch veränderten
Monsanto Rapssamen gepflanzt zu haben, ohne die benötigten Lizenzen zu besitzen.
Schmeiser behauptete, dass die Samen der Pflanzen aus einem benachbarten Feld oder einem vorbeifahrenden Transporter gekommen sind. Dieser Prozess wurde beim obersten kanadischen Gerichtshof zugunsten Monsantos entschieden. Doch die
Erstattung der Nutzung des Patentes wurde nicht durchgesetzt, da Schmeiser die genetischen Vorteile der Pflanzen nicht genutzt hat. Jahre später, klagte Percy
Schmeiser den Konzern an, weil die gleichen Rapssamen auf seinem Feld gewachsen sind, obwohl er seine Agrarwirtschaft zu Weizen, Senf, Erbsen und Hafer gewechselt hat. Die Entfernung der Samen durch Monsanto wäre nur unter der Zustimmung einer
Non-Disclosure Agreement seitens Percy Schmeisers durchgeführt worden.
Schmeiser ließ die Samen durch Arbeiter entfernen und schickte die Rechnung an
Monsanto, die diese nicht bezahlte. 2008 zahlte Monsanto die Kosten für die
Entfernung der gentechnisch modifizierten Rapssamen in einer außergerichtlichen
Einigung.
Diese Gerichtsprozesse haben eine große Debatte über die Regelung und Nutzung grüner Gentechnik und deren Patente gestartet. Zu der Frage, wie weit die
Veränderungen der Pflanzen mit Hilfe der grünen Gentechnik zugelassen werden sollte, nehmen unterschiedliche Staaten drei mögliche Standpunkte ein. Zum einen kann das Land die Verwendung von grüner Gentechnik für Konsum und Anbau zulassen. Dies ist in großen Teilen Amerikas der Fall. Die USA ist mit der Kultivierung von 64 Millionen Hektar gentechnisch veränderten Organismen (GVO) der größte
Produzent der Welt. Ebenso ist in den USA im Gegensatz zur EU keine
Kennzeichnungspflicht der modifizierten Lebensmittel gefordert. Jeder Versuch von
Verbraucherschutz-Organisationen war bisher ohne Erfolg. Somit können Verbraucher nicht zwischen natürlichen und gentechnisch veränderten Lebensmittel unterscheiden.

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Patent aufs Leben – Dinh Le Khanh Duy

Die EU hingegen verlässt sich bei der grünen Gentechnik auf die
Verbraucherautonomie in Verbindung mit Kennzeichnungen. Dadurch ist es dem
Verbraucher frei zu entscheiden, ob er GVOs konsumieren will oder nicht. Diese
Methode ist auch mit dem Menschrecht der Entscheidungsfreiheit vereinbar. Der
Anbau hingegen muss sich innerhalb der EU vorerst einer gründlichen Überprüfung durch die Europäische Behörde für Lebensmittelsicherheit (EFSA) unterziehen und es werden bisher nur zwei Pflanzen zugelassen. Eine noch restriktivere Haltung wird innerhalb der EU von der Bundesrepublik Deutschland eingenommen. Es dürfen keine gentechnisch veränderten Pflanzen angebaut werden, aber nach EU-Recht verkauft und konsumiert werden, solange sie richtig gekennzeichnet wurde. Auch die weiße
Biotechnologie ist in Deutschland stark eingeschränkt. So darf diese nur bei der
Herstellung von Tierfutter zum Einsatz kommen. Der Menschliche Verzehr ist dafür verboten. Diese Entscheidungen stimmen laut einer Befragung des
Bundesministeriums für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz mit der
Meinung der Bevölkerung überein.
Der letzte Standpunkt eines Staates gegenüber von GVOs ist die allgemeine
Ablehnung der Lebensmittel. Länder, die dieses Verbot ausüben, sind unter anderem
Österreich und Luxemburg.
Diese Ablehnung gegenüber der grünen Gentechnik wird durch die fehlenden
Langzeitstudien über die gentechnisch veränderten Pflanzen begründet. Das liegt daran, dass der Anbau und Verkauf von GVOs erst seit 20 Jahren ausgeübt wird.
Somit können gesundheitliche Nebeneffekte auf lange Zeiten noch nicht gründlich getestet werden. Neben menschlichen Risiken existieren aber auch Umweltprobleme.
Durch die Verwendung von herbizidresistenten Pflanzen mit ihrem dazugehörigen
Herbizid wird die Biodiversität in den Regionen stark gefährdet. Dazu führt das regelmäßige Spritzen des Herbizids zu einer verstärkten Resistenz des Unkrauts und letztendlich zu erhöhtem Einsatz von Spritzmitteln. Des Weiteren entwickeln auch schädliche Insekten eine Resistenz und beschädigen die Pflanzen und die Bauern sind gezwungen Insektizide einzusetzen. Die Verwendung dieser Giftmischung setzt dem
Ackerboden auf mittelfristige und langfristige Zeit stark zu. Somit führt der Anbau von
GVOs zu keiner großen Reduktion von Spritzmitteln. Die Trennung von traditionellen und gentechnisch modifizierten Pflanzen wird in Deutschland durch einen
Mindestabstand der Felder mit 150 Metern festgelegt. Doch die Trennung der beiden
Pflanzen erweist sich als schwer und aufwändig. Windbestäubung und andere
Pollenträger können nicht immer verhindert werden. Somit ist immer eine Gefahr der
Kontamination der natürlichen Pflanzen vorhanden. Durch die Kreuzung ist genetische
Verseuchung irreversibel und führt für die Bauern zu großen Verlusten.
Die grüne Gentechnik bringt nicht nur Gefahren und Risiken mit sich, sie hält auch
Lösungen für anstehende Probleme bereit. Auf Grund der steigenden
Bevölkerungszahlen
muss das Ackerland effizienter werden, da Landwirtschaftsflächen beschränkt sind. Durch gentechnisch veränderten Saatgut wird der Ertrag erhöht und es verhindert Lebensmittelknappheit. Die Umwelt kann angesichts des Klimawandels geschützt werden, indem durch selteneres Spritzen die
Anzahl der Fahrten reduziert wird.
Für die Diskussion, ob GVOs generell erlaubt oder abgehlehnt werden sollen, gibt es keine klare Antwort. Die amerikanische Regulierung für die uneingeschränkte grüne
Gentechnik ist dem Verbraucher gegenüber nicht fair und ist mit dem Menschenrecht der Entscheidungsfreiheit nicht vereinbar. Doch auch ein komplettes Verbot der gentechnisch veränderten Pflanzen ist nicht die Lösung. Denn Probleme der

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Patent aufs Leben – Dinh Le Khanh Duy

Überbevölkerung und Klimaerwärmung sind ein Thema der Gegenwart und nahen
Zukunft. Die Verbraucherautonomie mit Hilfe von Kennzeichnungen ist ein guter
Kompromiss der beiden Seiten. Dadurch ist das Recht auf freie Entscheidung gesichert und die grüne Gentechnik wird in seinen wichtigsten Punkten unterstützt.

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Patent aufs Leben – Dinh Le Khanh Duy

Literaturverzeichnis:
OECD (2005): http://www.oecd.org/sti/biotech/statisticaldefinitionofbiotechnology.htm, zugegriffen am: 07.08.2015
ISAAA (2009): http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/41/executivesummary/default.asp, zugegriffen am: 13.08.2015
Biotechnologie.de (2015): https://www.biotechnologie.de/BIO/Navigation/DE/Hintergrund/basiswissen.html, zugegriffen am: 07.08.2015
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2003): http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/autonomy-moral/, zugegriffen am: 07.08.2015

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