May 5, 2006

 

Monsanto to continue with tests on GM crops

 

 

The French arm of Monsanto, the US biotechnology behemoth, said Thursday (May 4) that it would continue experiments on genetically modified crops in France despite a court ruling stopping some of its tests.

 

The top French court, the Council of State, last week canceled two licences granted to Monsanto to grow test fields for its Roundup Ready GM corn .The court said Monsanto had not given sufficient details of where the field trials would take place.

 

Environmental groups who have repeatedly called for a halt to the trials cheered the move, saying that it indicated Monsanto had all along wanted to hold these trials in secret.

 

Monsanto said the court decision would not stop it from testing. However, it would have to change their approach when applying for future licences, said Yann Fichet, director of external relations for Monsanto France.

 

The two canceled multiyear licenses were granted in 2004 for a GM corn resistant to the Roundup insecticide. One have already expired while the other could have been used this year, Monsanto said.

 

The company, which submitted four additional testing requests this season on 17 sites and was waiting for an approval from the French Agriculture Ministry, said it had always provided all details of its experiments.

 

Fichet said the company supplied the farm ministry an exact list and detailed maps of intended experiments.

 

He conceded that for licenses lasting several years - like those that were canceled ¨C the list of locations were not given yearly, as required under French law.

 

But the company did not do so to avoid having its fields destroyed by opponents of GM crops, Fichet said.

 

There has been fierce opposition to GM crops in France, where a large majority said they refuse to eat GM foods as long as there are long-term safety concerns.

 

Opponents of GM crops in France regularly destroy field experiments, claiming the tests lead to irreversible contamination of conventional crops. Half of Monsanto's experiments in France are destroyed each year, Fichet said.

 

Being transparent about its procedures and locations have led to the destruction of the company's work, said Fichet stating that such an outcome is unacceptable.