New rules implemented by the European Union now allow individual member states to block farmers from using genetically modified organisms (GMO), even if the variety has been approved on an EU-wide basis. Scotland was the first to opt out and Germany is next, according to German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt.

Controversy concerning the safety and/or necessity of GMOs persists, but countries like these have decided not to idly sit by while the effects posed by long-term consumption of GMO foods are revealed. This move makes Germany one of between 64 and 74 countries that have instituted some type of ban or mandatory labeling requirements.

Source: CollectivelyConscious.net