On 18th October 2018 the winners of the 9th Salus Media Prize were announced at the official award ceremony in Munich. Over 200 invited guests were eager to know who would be winners among the ten nominated candidates. Salus managing director Dr. Florian Block opened the ceremony emphazising that these awards are a relevant contribution to promoting a sustainable way of life.
The jury had the honor to choose the best five among over 80 applications. The happy winners are:
First Prize (prize money 6,000 €, split in 3,000 € each):
Due to the outstanding quality of the contributions the first prize was split and shared by Peter Kreysler and Alexander Schiebel. Peter Kreyslers contribution “Die DNA Revolution – Schöpfung mit der Genschere” (The DNA Revolution – Creation by means of gene editing scissors), produced by the German broadcasting WDR and the radio station DLF, deals with CrisprCas 9, the genome editing tool that will change our lives. The second first prize winner is Alexander Schiebels with his book “Das Wunder von Mals” (The miracle of Mals), published by oekom. He tells the story of a small, insubordinate village in South Tyrol, which opposes the big agribusiness in order to prevent the use of pesticides.
Special Prize (prize money 1,000 €):
Andrea Koeppler won the Special Prize for her TV documentary “Kampf ums Saatgut – Wer bestimmt, was wir essen?” (Battle for seeds – Who determines what we eat?), produced by the German broadcast BR. She points to the dangers that result from big companies patenting plants and shows how monopols could affect the prices of food and animal feedstuff.
Prize for Young Journalists (prize money 2,000 €):
This prize was awarded to Louisa Dellert for her book “Mein Herz schlägt grün” (My green heartbeat), published by Komplett Media. The blogger and instragramer deals with ecological problems, presenting her own way to a more sustainable life. She also invites her readers to adopt a greener lifestyle by getting them involved in various challenges.
Otto Greither Special Prize (prize money 1,000 €):
Last but not least the Otto Greither Special Prize was awarded to Dr. Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein for his book “FOOD CRASH – Wir werden uns ökologisch ernähren oder gar nicht mehr” (FOOD CRASH - We will eat ecological food, or we won’t eat at all), published by Droemer-Knaur. In his book the organic farming expert Dr. Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein stands up for an organic agriculture and opposes the belief that genetic engineering, pesticides and fertilizers are necessary to supply all human beings with Food.
Since 2010 Salus honors critical journalistic reports about the negative consequences of genetic engineering in agriculture or about the chances that ecological agriculture without genetic engineering offers for the environment and for humankind.
