Mutiny Against Monsanto
New Scientist (UK) October 31, 1998
SECTION: This Week, Pg. 4 HEADLINE:
Mutiny against Monsanto BYLINE: Andy Coghlan HIGHLIGHT: Angry biotech
firms are blaming the industry leader for bringing modified crops into
disrepute
BODY: MONSANTO, the American biotech giant, is facing an
unprecedented
wave of criticism from within the industry. Many of Monsanto's
rivals say
the company is largely to blame for a consumer backlash that could
cripple the prospects for genetically engineered food in Europe.
Polls
show that consumer acceptance of engineered food has collapsed in
Europe
since 1997, when it emerged that Monsanto's
herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready soya beans had been shipped to
Europe mixed with ordinary soya. Consumers interpreted the move
as a ploy to force transgenic soya down European throats.
Monsanto officials have always maintained that the decision not
to segregate was made by farmers and distributors, but they
admit to misjudging the mood in Europe. Monsanto was convinced
that smooth acceptance of transgenic soya in the US would be
mirrored in Europe.
The entire industry is now having to deal with the
consequences of that miscalculation. Though wary of breaking a
tradition of solidarity against opponents of genetic
engineering, other companies are distancing themselves from
Monsanto. "We have a PR mountain to climb," says Willy de Greef,
head of regulatory and government affairs at Novartis Seeds in
Basel, Switzerland. "You have a problem if the market leader has
firmly set ideas about how to do things, which others might not
agree with," he adds. "An expensive failure can be made into an
asset if you've learnt from it, but Monsanto still has some
learning to do."
Zeneca, the British-based biotechnology giant, also feels
aggrieved, not least because it won applause from consumer
groups in 1996 by labelling its tomato puree as containing
genetically modified tomatoes. "It's a matter of respect for
your customer," says Nigel Poole, head of regulatory affairs at
Zeneca Plant Science in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Another senior figure in the industry, who asked to remain
anonymous, is more blunt, accusing Monsanto of "arrogant
stupidity". He adds: "The issue with Roundup Ready soya beans is
the elimination of choice. It's not about genetic engineering,
it's an issue of 'no one's going to tell me what to eat'."
Other companies are less willing to single out Monsanto for
criticism, but those contacted by "New Scientist" agree that the
failure to segregate Roundup Ready soya was a setback. And the
problems didn't end there, say some industry sources: a high-
profile advertising campaign from Monsanto, designed to reassure
European consumers, has if anything hardened negative public
attitudes to agricultural biotechnology. "We're as fed up as
some others with the Yankee-Doodle language that comes to our
consumers," says de Greef of Novartis. Even some US
companies, insulated from the worst effects of the European
storm, are concerned. Du Pont of Wilmington, Delaware, is
worried about the impact of Monsanto's stance on future launches
of its products in Europe. "It may be more difficult now," says
a spokesman.
When it comes to their own-brand products, many of Britain's
major retailers are telling their soya suppliers to order as
much material as possible from sources outside the US - mainly
in Argentina and Brazil - that are guaranteed unmodified. But
Brazil last month approved commercial plantings of Roundup Ready
soya beans, and Monsanto aims to capture 20 per cent of the
Brazilian market within three years.
Monsanto argues that the company is being singled out
because it is the market leader. "We certainly didn't intend to
drop other companies in it," says Monsanto spokesman Dan
Verakis. "If people think we started the controversy, we are
certainly trying to clarify it."
For more science news see
http://www.newscientist.com/ http://www.newscientist.com
Webmaster: steve@purefood.org