A regional court in Italy has upheld the country's national ban on the planting of Monsanto's MON810 corn.

The ruling cites the precautionary principle, which allows governments to take protective measures without having to wait for the risks to become fully realised.

The court case was brought by a farmer from the Friuli region, Giorgio Fidenato, in an attempt to overturn the ban on planting MON810.

To achieve the court win, a Task Force was mobilized for an Italy free from GMOs - with members including 39 leading associations in agriculture and the environment, such as Coldiretti, Greenpeace, Legambiente, and Slow Food.

Italian agriculture is therefore GMO-free, in line with the wishes of nearly 8 out of 10 Italians. The country has already had to deal with a case of GM contamination from illegally cultivated MON810 corn.

Sources (in Italian):
http://www.greenbiz.it/panorama/opinioni/10421-ogm-tar-lazio
http://messaggeroveneto.gelocal.it/cronaca/2013/10/19/news/continua-la-battaglia-ogm-fidenato-cita-lo-stato-al-tar-1.7953165