Monsanto Drops Pursuit of Approval For Frankenlawns

International Center for Technology Assessment
660 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Suite 302, Washington, DC 20003,

(202) 547-9359 fax (202) 547-9429

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
October, 22 2002 Peter T.
Jenkins,
202.547.9359


MONSANTO DROPS PURSUIT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED LAWN GRASS

COMPANY'S WITHDRAWAL FOLLOWS LEGAL ACTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER
FOR TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Washington, DC -Monsanto Co. has withdrawn its proposal to commercialize
genetically engineered (GE) creeping bentgrass, a favored turfgrass for
golf course greens and found in countless other lawns across the
country. Several concerned experts had warned the proposed new product
could become a "superweed." In August of this year the International
Center for Technology Assessment (CTA), a non-profit public interest
group, filed a formal legal petition with USDA requesting a halt to its
commercialization. The CTA petition detailed significant problems
surrounding the use of the gene-altered grass including increased use of
herbicides and the potential for ecological and economic disruption.
This September, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory
officials sent Monsanto a letter listing deficiencies in its
application. USDA's action on Monsanto's proposal responds
affirmatively to CTA's petition.

The GE grass variety is resistant to the top-selling weedkiller Roundup,
a brand owned by Monsanto. Planting the GE grass would have allowed
users to broadcast spray Roundup over lawns to kill weeds instead of
spot-spraying or hand-pulling them. It was the first-ever GE plant
product aimed at the vast non-agricultural markets, initially golf
courses and eventually property managers and homeowners. Industry
officials have said the potential market for GE lawn and garden products
could approach $10 billion dollars annually.

"Commercialization of this grass would have been an environmental
nightmare," said CTA Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell. "Monsanto had
no choice but to withdraw the product given the legal action taken by
CTA and the USDA response."

CTA's petition also requested that GE glyphosate-resistant creeping
bentgrass be listed as a prohibited Federal noxious weed. But, USDA so
far has refused to consider CTA's listing request for the GE variety due
to the pending regulatory review.

"Now that Monsanto has withdrawn its application, we expect USDA will
prohibit even experimental planting of this potential superweed," said
Peter T. Jenkins, CTA Policy Analyst.

For a copy of the CTA petition, see: www.icta.org, under Actions. The
USDA website listing the withdrawn application for the product is:
www.aphis.usda.gov/bbep/bp/petday.html petition no 02-122-01.