Austria: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

Austria continues to be one of the leading forces in Europe opposed to the use of agricultural biotechnology. Anti-biotech NGOs, who have a strong influence on Austrian consumers, farmer organizations, the food-processing sector, and the retail sector all campaign against genetically engineered agricultural and food products. However, acceptance of innovative biotechnologies is gaining some traction within informed stakeholder groups. Since all major Austrian political parties oppose biotechnology in agriculture, it is unlikely that Austria’s hostile biotech environment will change with a new government after general elections which took place on September 29, 2024. Soybeans and soybean products for feed use are the only major genetically engineered products imported by Austria. The Austrian government strongly opposes the EU Commission’s proposal of the regulation of “new genomic techniques (NGTs)” to allow for easier market access for products deriving from “NGTs.”