Sweden

Updates + Overviews

Click on the map to enlarge it or dowload the kmz file to view it in Google Earth.

GMO-free areas in Sweden:

County: Jämtlands län

Municipalities: Östersund kommun, Åre kommun, Krokoms kommun, Borlänge kommun, Uddevalla kommun, Kalmar kommun, Kumla kommun and Lindesbergs Kommun

Total: Over 40 GMO-free zones (Including schools, restaurants, food shops, farms, churches...).

Network for GMO-free zones in Sweden, Hej då GMO! started in February 2008.

Swedish farmers do not use GMO-crops for commercial cultivation. No GMO-crops derived animal feed is currently used in Sweden (2013). Dairy producers, beef producers, egg producers have always been GMO-free. Only between 2006 and 2011, animal feed contains GMO-soy for pigs were marketed in Sweden, however since the demand was very small, the pork industry went back to their previous policy and decided to use only NON-GMO feed.

In 2014, the Swedish poultry meat association announced that they are considering to start using the controversial RTRS, which include GMO-soybeans.   

The biggest animal feed importer, Lantmännen, is actively promoting the RTRS/GMO-soybenas  in Sweden.

(Update: 2015)

Opendoor field trials of GM-crops are going on in Sweden for many years. Which GM-crops have been tested on the open field are listed on the Swedish Board of Agriculture website: http://www.jordbruksverket.se/

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The first GMO-free zone in Sweden:

A motion written by a local politician, Bogna Wojtkiewicz Adolfsson (Centre party), to make Jämtland County GMO-free was approved by Jämtland County Council, on April 22, 2009:
1. Jämtland County Council fully supports the goal of Jämtland County to be a GMO-free zone.
2. Jämtland County Council will spread information about GMOs, and share knowledge about GMOs, in order to make sure that agriculture and food in the county is GMO-free.
3. Activities taking place on Jämtland County Council's land or in its premises, whether owned or rented, to be GMO-free.

The first GMO free municipality in Sweden was Östersund in 2008, then in 2009 the municipality of Åre declared itself GMO-free.

Organisations and institutions active on GMO

Network for GMO Free Sweden!: “Hej då GMO!”
(Goodbye GMO! - Swedish network for GMO-free zone)
Administrator: Akiko Frid
phone:  +46-(0)730-744627
email: hejda.gmo@gmail.com

Organizations and groups working for GMO-free agriculture and food production:

Ekologiska Lantbrukarna (Swedish Association of Ecological Farmers)
Biodynamiska Föreningen
GMO-Fritt Norrbotten
LULEÅ BIODLARFÖRENING
SOTENÄS BIODLAREFÖRENING
Swedish Professional Beekeepers
Jordens Vänner
KONSUMENT-FORUM
Förbundet Sveriges Småbrukare
Matupproret
Slow Food i Skåne nordost

 

 

Presentations

Lucern, April 2009
Akiko Frid,Greenpeace / Hej Da GMO!
Presentation: Towards GMO-free Sweden: The key is cooperation (pdf, 252 KB, English)