Norway

Updates + Overviews

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Due to the Gene Technology Act, none GMOs are grown or sold in Norway. In addition, one county in Norway, Oppland, is declared GMO-free.

(Updated in Aug 2014: All the information on the Norway page is provided by Network of GMO-free foods and animal feed)

Seeds from genetically modified (GM) plants can currently not be accepted for storage in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. According to Norwegian national legislation, the import to and storage of GMO seeds in Norway requires, inter alia, approval in advance from Norwegian authorities and storage in a “contained use” facility meeting certain standards.

 

Organisations and institutions active on GMO

In 2009, the organisations active on GMO in Norway have established a network organisation, called «Nettverk for GMO-fri mat og fôr» (in English: Network for GMO-free food and animal feed). A plattform is worked out for the network. 17 organisations are at the moment members in this network. The secretariat for the network is rotated between the member organisations. From 2014 the secretariat is located at OIKOS' office. Coordinator is Regine Andersen. The member organisastions are (alphabetic order, language in italic):

  • Biologisk-dynamisk Forening Norwegian

  • COOP Handel Norge (grocery store chain) Norwegian

  • Debio (organisation for organic certificatin) Norwegian/ English

  • Framtiden i våre hender/ The Future in Our Hands Norwegian/ English

  • Greenpeace Norwegian/ English

  • Natur og Ungdom/ Nature and Youth (Young Friends of the Earth) Norwegian/ English

  • Norges Birøkterlag (Beekeepers organisation) Norwegian

  • Norges Bondelag/ The Norwegian Farmers' Union) Norwegian/ English

  • Norges Bygdekvinnelag/ The Norwegian Sosiety of Rural Women Norwegian/ English

  • Norges Bygdeungdomslag Norwegian

  • Norsk Bonde-og Småbrukarlag/ Norwegian Farmers' and Smallholders' Union Norwegian/ English

  • Norsk Landbrukssamvirke Norwegian

  • Norges Miljøvernforbund/ Green Worriers of Norway Norwegian

  • Norges Naturvernforbund/ Friends of the Earth, Norway Norwegian/ English

  • Oikos/ Organic Norway Norwegian/ English

  • Spire, Utviklingsfondets ungdomsorganisasjon/ The Development Funds' Youth Organisation Norwegian/ English

  • Utviklingsfondet/ The Development Fund Norwegian/ English

Activities

Two meetings a year, where the 17 organisations are represented.

"Sowing the Future" (GMO-free seed-actions). Three arrangements in 2014.

Responses to requests (from the government) for comments.

Publications

«Nytt om GMO»

Network for GMO-free food and animal feed publishes a leaflet with news about GMO, 10-15 numbers each year, ment for members of the organisastions. The content is mainly in Norwegian. Editor is Sidsel Børresen.

Regine Andersen, Oikos
Sidsel.Børresen, Naturvernforbundet


Related document

SustainabilityAssessment of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant Crops The Case of Intacta RoundupReady 2Pro Soybean Farming in Brazil in light of the Norwegian Gene Technology Act (Biosafety Report 2014/02) GenØk - Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway November 2014

Legal documents

Gene Technology Act (1993, The Act relating to the production and use of genetically modified organisms)