The information war is going on between the defenders of eco-food and people for genetically modified organisms these days. Today the Committee on Territorial and Environmental Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia held parliamentary hearings on “Genetically Modified Organisms: a Compulsion or an Alternative?” topic.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture told that media had published about the announcement of “Monsanto” representative stating that for already 20 years the company had been represented in the Republic of Armenia in the face of mediators. The Ministry of Agriculture has found out that in the Republic of Armenia “Monsanto” represents “Agroline” LLC which has been operating since 1998. The Deputy Minister noted that “Monsanto” had imported vegetable crop seeds of approximately 128 kg into Armenia in 2017.
He told that in Armenia seed market is free and at the moment there is no legislative act banning the import of those seeds, the “Law on Seeds” does not have an influence on it.
The Deputy Minister also revealed that since the 1990s the GMOs have been imported into the Republic of Armenia through humanitarian aid pipe, some seeds have been imported this way as well and afterwards tomato pastes, poplar seedlings, corns and etc.
Later on, a law on foodstuff was adopted constituting the issues relative to the safety of food sold in the Republic of Armenia. If the composition of a food sold in the Republic of Armenia encompasses GMO above 0.9%, it should be labeled.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
