GMO and sustainable development in less favoured regions—the need for alternative paths of development

The risk assessment for new technologies, like the use of GMO in the agricultural production, becomes enormously complex. It cannot be limited to purely natural–scientific analysis. Socio-economic factors need to be considered as well. The active promotion of GMO-free areas is discussed as a means for an alternative path of development. Economically less favoured and at the same time ecologically sensitive areas are suitable for the territorial application of this concept. The state of discussion on the influences of the agricultural use of GMO on the regional development of less favoured and ecologically sensitive regions is presented. The social acceptance of GMO-free areas was tested in a survey, which was conducted in 1999 in Austria. The results suggest that the idea is worth being pursued. A case study for local application is presented: GMO-free areas as part of a biosphere park stimulate economically sustainable endogenous development.