In June 2006 several farmers have founded an organization ?Arbeitsgemeinschaft Innovativer Landwirte? (InnoPlanta AGIL) [?Working Group of Innovative Farmers?], initiated by the Industry-Network InnoPlanta in Sachsen-Anhalt (Germany). The goal of this combination, currently consisting of 20 farmers and aiming to operate German-wide, is the promotion of the biotechnology of plants. Background of this foundation is the fact, that the cultivation of GM-crops in Germany in 2006 will be significantly lower than initially expected: instead of the hoped for 10.000 hectares with GM-maize there will be cultivated only approx. 950 hectares of Bt-maize.



Dr. Uwe Schrader, chairman of InnoPlanta e.V., explained: ?We decided to support innovative farmers in establishing such a work group, because more farmers want to cultivate GM-crops despite persisting difficult conditions. Several farmers already have good experiences with the cultivation of GM Bt-maize. These and other interested farmers shall be supported actively in the use of the biotechnology of plants and be represented at politics, economics and communities.?

Indeed, for the application of green biotechnology in Germany the future legal framework will be decisive. InnoPLanta AGIL claims a practical and for the agriculture calculable Gene Technology Law, which will facilitate the use of GM plants in peaceful co-existence with conventional and organic farming and no longer discriminate the cultivation of GM crops.