controversy over seeds planted by some French farmers

Faced with the shortage of oil, farmers are planting sunflowers all over France. According to the Confédération paysanne, some are, in certain places, GMOs. “We are not in a natural mutation, we are in a directed, provoked mutation, carried out in vitro by geneticists”, says Nicolas Girod, spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne. However, France”refuses[rait] to bring forward regulations in this direction“.

These seeds, tolerant to herbicides, eradicate a parasitic plant, broomrape, which destroys sunflower plants. Without GMO labeling on seeds, farmers believe they are complying with the regulations. “These seeds are approved, certified [et] have been listed in the French and European catalogues”explains Gilles Robillard, farmer member of the Federation of Oilseed Producers (POF). According to the FOP, a third of sunflower fields could no longer be cultivated without these seeds.