Monsanto has announced it will scrap plans to sell an insect-resistant maize in France, the second move in a week by biotech company to retreat from the genetically modified foods market in Europe. Monsanto's announcement on Tuesday (24 January) came a week after Germany's BASF said it would suspend the development of GM crops in Europe and move its plant science arm to the United States. BASF's move is a particular blow for Europe, said Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, director of agricultural biotechnology at EuropaBio. "The BASF decision is not good for Europe because I think it is the reaction of a quintessentially European company to what is a stifling political and regulatory environment," said du Marchie Sarvaas, whose Brussels organisation represents agricultural technology companies. "Research, jobs, money will go to where it is welcomed. In this case it will be somewhere else. It's a bad day for Europe." Monsanto said it would not resume sales of MON810, a maize genetically modified to improve pest resistance, despite a French court ruling in November that overturned a 2008 government ban on the sale of MON810. "Monsanto considers that favourable conditions for the sale of the MON810 in France in 2012 and beyond are not in place," the St. Louis, Missouri-based company said in a statement.
Monsanto has announced it will scrap plans to sell an insect-resistant maize in France, the second move in a week by biotech company to retreat from the genetically modified foods market in Europe.
Monsanto's announcement on Tuesday (24 January) came a week after Germany's BASF said it would suspend the development of GM crops in Europe and move its plant science arm to the United States.
BASF's move is a particular blow for Europe, said Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, director of agricultural biotechnology at EuropaBio.
"The BASF decision is not good for Europe because I think it is the reaction of a quintessentially European company to what is a stifling political and regulatory environment," said du Marchie Sarvaas, whose Brussels organisation represents agricultural technology companies.
"Research, jobs, money will go to where it is welcomed. In this case it will be somewhere else. It's a bad day for Europe."
Monsanto said it would not resume sales of MON810, a maize genetically modified to improve pest resistance, despite a French court ruling in November that overturned a 2008 government ban on the sale of MON810.
"Monsanto considers that favourable conditions for the sale of the MON810 in France in 2012 and beyond are not in place," the St. Louis, Missouri-based company said in a statement.
