Monsanto Makes Empty Promises to Change their Practices

U.S. bio-crop giant says to heed critics
By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto Co.,
accused of being tone deaf about the marketing of its seeds, said Monday it
supported more regulation of bio-crops and would never put human genes into
plants used as food.

The "New Monsanto Pledge" was unveiled by Hendrik Verfaillie, chief
executive of Monsanto, an 85 percent owned subsidiary of Pharmacia Corp. .
He said Monsanto was, "knowingly and deliberately taking a different path"
than in the past.

An early developer of biotechnology in agriculture, Monsanto was blinded at
times by its enthusiasm and did not recognize public skepticism about the
gene-splicing science and its own products, he said.

"When we tried to explain the benefits, the science and the safety, we did
not understand that our tone -- our very approach -- was seen as arrogant,"
Verfaillie said. "We were still in the 'trust me' mode when the expectation
was 'show me'."

Bio-tech crops are popular with profit-conscious U.S. farmers, because they
offer higher yields and accepted with few qualms by most American consumers.
In Europe, demonstrations have ridiculed what activists call
"Franken-foods." Some test plots of gene-spliced crops have been uprooted by
opponents in Europe.

The five-part pledge presented by Verfaillie calls for steps that include
creation of an external Biotechnology Advisory Council to discuss biotech
issues, sharing Monsanto research with universities, supporting a
requirement for firms to notify U.S. regulators about plans to market a
biotech product, seeking global standards on biotech seed, grain and food
products, and selling only grain products approved as human food and
livestock feed.

The St. Louis-based company also promises not to use "genes taken from
animal or human sources in our agricultural products intended for food or
feed."

Monsanto also would launch new bio-crops in the United States only if they
have U.S. and Japanese approval for animal feed and human food. Europe would
be included as soon as it establishes a new regulatory system.

Larry Bohlen of the environmental group Friends of the Earth, who also spoke
at a conference sponsored by Farm Journal magazine, said there was an
emerging "convergence" between biotech firms and critics, such as requiring
all products to have human food and animal feed approval.

Friends of the Earth, a strong biotech critic, wants labeling on all foods
containing biotech ingredients. It also would suspend planting of so-called
Bt crops, which contain a naturally occurring pesticide that drives off a
common cotton and corn pest. Bohlen said prevention of "bio-pollution" was
one of the group's top three goals worldwide.

Some industry analysts have warned the controversy over StarLink bio-corn --
a variety that slipped into the human food supply despite being approved
only for animal feed -- could cloud the future of agricultural biotech
products at least for the short term.

The U.S. food industry has also been rattled this fall by recalls of 300
types of taco shells, chips and cornmeal made with StarLink corn, a variety
produced by rival agribusiness giant Aventis SA

Verfaillie, however, said Monsanto's surveys of farmers indicated a 16
percent increase in planned U.S. plantings of its biotech corn, cotton and
soybean seeds in 2001.

"The farmers want this technology. If they had a free choice, they would use
it on the great majority of acres," Verfaillie said.

18:30 11-27-00

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Monsanto Chief Executive Outlines Commitments on New Agricultural
Technologies in the 'New Monsanto Pledge'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Monsanto Company President and Chief
Executive Officer Hendrik A. Verfaillie today outlined the "New Monsanto
Pledge" -- principles in five key areas outlining Monsanto's policy for the
development, use and stewardship of products of new agricultural
technologies.

Speaking before the fifth annual Farm Journal Forum in Washington, D.C.,
Verfaillie made new commitments unprecedented in the biotechnology industry.
The New Monsanto Pledge includes five areas of commitment -- dialogue,
transparency, respect, sharing and delivering benefits.

"Through the New Monsanto Pledge, we commit to respecting and working with
all interested parties, developing technology with benefits that are
meaningful to farmers and consumers throughout the world, and only
developing products that we are confident are safe and will provide value to
our customers," said Verfaillie.

Monsanto has a history of taking a leadership position on matters of public
interest. In 1990, the Monsanto Pledge was a statement of environmental
responsibility. One principle of the original Pledge applies directly to
the issue of biotechnology: "We will work to achieve sustainable
agriculture through new technology and practices."

Today, Monsanto has expanded that original 1990 Pledge to include the
following elements:

DIALOGUE

-- We commit to an ongoing dialogue with all interested parties to
understand the issues and concerns related to this technology.

-- To this end, we commit to create an external Biotechnology Advisory
Council from a range of constituencies with an interest in biotechnology to
meet, discuss, advise and help us make decisions.

-- And we commit to involving our customers to help us make decisions about
the development, use and stewardship of new agricultural technologies.

TRANSPARENCY

-- We commit to transparency by making published scientific data and data
summaries on product safety and benefits publicly available and accessible,
and we commit to working within the rigorous, science-based regulation as
required by appropriate government agencies around the world.

-- We will make both Monsanto research and external research by universities
and other institutions available through the Internet and other public
venues.

-- We commit our support for a mandatory pre-market notification process for
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of all biotechnology products in
the United States.

-- We commit to work toward the establishment of global standards for the
quality of seed, grain and food products.

RESPECT

-- We commit to respecting the religious, cultural and ethical concerns of
people throughout the world by:

-- Commercializing commodity grain products only after they have been
approved for consumption by both humans and animals;

-- Not using genes taken from animal or human sources in our agricultural
products intended for food or feed;

-- Never commercializing a product in which a known allergen has been
introduced;

-- Using alternatives to antibiotic resistance genes to select for new
traits as soon as the technology allows us to do so efficiently and
effectively in a manner that has been proven safe; and,

-- Underscoring our commitment not to pursue technologies that result in
sterile seeds.

SHARING

-- We commit to bring the knowledge and advantages of all forms of
agriculture to resource-poor farmers in the developing world to help improve
food security and protect the environment.

-- To this end, we have created a dedicated team within Monsanto to
facilitate technology sharing and agricultural development collaborations
with public institutions, non-profit groups and local industry around the
world.

BENEFITS

-- We commit to work for and deliver benefits for farmers commercially as
well as environmentally.

-- Environmentally, we commit to develop technology that directly
contributes to a vision of abundant food and a healthy environment

by:

-- Using biotechnology to promote integrated pest management (IPM) and
reduce agricultural inputs, such as we have seen with the reduction of
pesticides in the United States;

-- Working with growers worldwide to double the use of tillage practices
that conserve soil and moisture over the next five years; and

-- Ensuring that all of our products and practices protect wildlife and
beneficial species.

-- Commercially, we intend to launch new genetically improved commodity
crops in the United States only after they have received full approval for
food use and animal feed in the United States and Japan. We hope also to
extend this intention to Europe as soon as it has established a working
regulatory system.

We're able to state this intention as long as there are science-based
regulatory systems that make timely decisions. If the regulatory systems
are not functional, we cannot allow the breakdown to deny U.S. farmers the
choice of new technologies.

"We have reached a critical crossroads in the debate about biotechnology,"
said Verfaillie.

"We recognize that people in all arenas have looked to us to explain and
defend this technology publicly. We recognize that our role as a leader in
this technology means we have to do more than react to what is said
publicly -- we have an obligation to take a solid stance and look to set
benchmark policy on how this technology is developed, used and communicated
through this Pledge."

For a full-text version of the New Monsanto Pledge and for additional
information about the commitments made through the Pledge, please visit:
http://www.monsanto.com .

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), an 85 percent owned subsidiary of Pharmacia
Corporation (NYSE: PHA), is a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality. For more information on Monsanto, see: www.monsanto.com .

SOURCE Monsanto Company