Biotech Giant Bayer Suspends GE Research in India

Press Release, 15 November 2004

Bayer pulls out of Genetic Engineering Research in India; Admits to
Greenpeace the Future is in 'Conventional' Breeding.

In an admission of immense significance to the entire genetic engineering
(GE) industry, Bayer Crop Science has conceded to Greenpeace India that all
its projects on genetically engineered (GE) crops have been 'discontinued.'
This admission is a direct result of a protracted direct action by
Greenpeace at the Bayer headquarters in Mumbai on 30th September 2004. In a
letter sent to Greenpeace last week, Aloke V. Pradhan, head of Corporate
Communications states Bayer's future plans for India, "Overall, Bayer Crop
Science India will continue to focus in the coming years on its conventional
plant breeding research programme."

"We don't need genetically engineered crops to feed India," said Divya
Raghunandan, genetic engineering campaigner for Greenpeace India. "Around
the world, in fact, the promises made by the genetic engineering industry
have been unfulfilled, whether of increasing crop yields or reducing
pesticide use." (see footnote 1) She continued, "It doesn't surprise us that
Bayer is giving up GE experiments in India. They saw the writing on the wall
- the Indian public was not going to accept their manipulated cabbages and
cauliflowers - and they cut their losses. It's time for the rest of the
industry to give up on this misguided and inappropriate technology."

The significance of this pull-out for Bayer, and indeed the entire genetic
engineering industry, cannot be overestimated. In the second largest country
in the world, with 80% of the population involved in agriculture, the Indian
market for agro-chemical and seed companies is enormous. This retreat
follows two decisions that set Bayer back earlier this year. In March 2004,
the company announced they would be pulling out of GE crop research in the
UK. A few months later, in June, Bayer announced they would not pursue
commercialization of GE canola in Australia. Bayer's letter to Greenpeace
India concedes that research into engineered cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant,
tomato and mustard seed has all been halted.

Bayer's withdrawal from GE research around the world is part of a larger
pattern of retreat in the global biotechnology industry. For example, in a
high profile turn-around, Monsanto globally abandoned genetically engineered
wheat research earlier this year. The company also shelved its Australian
work on genetically engineered canola one month prior to a similar decision
by Bayer.

"It is clear that popular resistance to genetic engineering is not
diminishing as the industry had hoped it would," said Doreen Stabinsky, GE
campaigner for Greenpeace International. "No matter what country we're
talking about, consumers are on the same page. They don't want to eat
genetically engineered food. That's good news for farmers and good news for
the environment."

Divya Raghunandan, GE campaigner, Greenpeace India: +919845535406,
draghuna@dialb.greenpeace.org

further information: Protests in Bombay against Bayer
<http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__160/kcb__160.html> ;
Campaign against GM Rice in India

This GMO news service is underwritten by a generous grant from the Newman's
Own Foundation and is a production of the Ecological Farming Association
<http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__157/kcb__157.html>
www.eco-farm.org <http://www.eco-farm.org/>

<http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__157/kcb__157.html>