Swiss give thumbs-up to GMOs

08 June 1998

Swiss give thumbs-up to GMOs

SWITZERLAND – one of Europes leading centres for biomedical research – gave GM products a boost at the weekend when voters rejected a proposal to ban the production and patenting of genetically modified plants and animals.

Some 67% voted against the proposed ban in a national referendum. Switzerland is the only country in the world whose population has been given a chance to vote on the contentious issue of GM research.

Support for the ban was strongest in the German-speaking cantons, but weak in the French-speaking regions.

The powerful Swiss life sciences and pharmaceutical lobby argued that a ban would forced them to move their promising research projects out of Switzerland – resulting in job losses.

• The Daily Telegraph 08/08/98 page 2
• The Independent 08/08/98 page 9
• The Guardian 08/08/98 page 12
• Financial Times 08/08/98 page 2