Monsanto Stays Course Despite French GMO Attacks
Date: 30-Aug-07
Country: FRANCE
Author: Tamora Vidaillet
In recent years, biotech firms given the green light to
carry out GMO tests in France have done so under threat that
protesters may trample fields and wreck months of research.
This pushed Bayer CropScience to end field tests
in France in 2004 and has prompted fears among scientists that
others may shift at least part of their research efforts abroad.
Still, Missouri-based Monsanto, creator of the only GMO
technology currently in commercial use in France, a corn called
YieldGard MON-810, remains committed to field trials.
"Monsanto wishes to continue its research in biotechnology
and its field trials in France despite illegal destructions
because the best adapted varieties for farmers' specific needs
are created at the local level," said Jean-Michel Duhamel,
Monsanto's director for southern Europe.
"As the sharp rise in prices of raw food in France shows
that an abundance of food cannot be taken for granted anymore,
it is necessary to develop all tools to strengthen efficiency
and sustainability of agriculture including biotechs," he said.
Monsanto has issued two separate complaints against
protesters this month following attacks on GMO test sites that
it says caused losses totalling 100,000 euros (US$135,900).
In 2004, 45 percent of all Monsanto's field trials on GMO
seeds suffered damage from activists. In 2005, 55 percent
suffered such damage and in 2006, 65 percent did.
SMALL ACTIVITY
Heated debate has surrounded the use of GMO products across
Europe and in France, a country which takes special pride in the
quality of its food and where many consumers and green groups
doubt the safety of GMO products.
While GMO technologies are more widely used in the United
States, analysts say it could take years before such solutions
are welcome with open arms in Europe.
Monsanto said it derives around 50 percent of its revenues
in France from the sale of herbicides and most of the remainder
from sales of conventional, non-biotech seeds.
While the number of hectares sown with maize incorporating
Monsanto's MON-810 technology has swelled to more than 20,000
hectares this season from 5,000 in 2006, GMO-derived business
accounts for less than one percent of its turnover in France.
Monsanto has given about eight seed companies the right to
use its MON-810 technology in France.
This season around 40 percent of the area sown with GMO
maize was directly using Monsanto seeds. The other 60 percent
was made up of maize produced by French firms or cooperatives
which have negotiated the right to use Monsanto's technology.
