Tech | January 31, 2012 | 28 comments

Monsanto quits GMOs in Britain amid intense backlash

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-199884/GM-giant-quits-Britain-amid-backlash.html

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JanforGore
The giant bio-tech firm Monsanto yesterday announced a major withdrawal from the UK amid intense opposition to genetically modified foods.The company, the leading multinational behind the production of GM crops, is closing its wheat growing operation, based in Cambridge.

Officials said the move was partly due to the opposition to GM crops which has inspired the Daily Mail's campaign against so-called "Frankenstein Foods". Monsanto is also seeking to sell off crop-breeding centres in France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

The move was widely seen as an indication that the company has given up hopes of introducing GM crops to Europe. Pete Riley, of Friends of the Earth, said last night: "If they are pulling out, we should rejoice."

Monsanto's decision was made public on the eve of the Government's final announcement on the prospects for GM crop cultivation here. Earlier this week it was revealed that the Government's own research had found that GM farming would pollute the countryside for generations. Monsanto's Cambridge unit employed 125 people developing hybrid wheat varieties for the European market.

The company bought the former Government Plant Breeding Institute from Unilever in 1998, declaring that GM crops would be established within five years. But a Monsanto spokesman said last night the expected business had "never materialised". Last month, Bayer CropScience pulled the plug on UK field trials, leaving just one company, Syngenta, actively pursuing GM here. The results of the Government research had been wdely seen as dealing a bodyblow to supporters of GM crops.

Disturbing figures came from three separate studies conducted on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.They showed that pollen contamination would spread far further than previously thought and "feral" growth of weed killer -proof plants from just one crop would persist for years.

At the same time, the heavy use of chemicals associated with the crops could wipe out some bird species.The warnings followed the massive public suspicion of GM crops revealed by the Government's own national consultation.

In an initiative involving hundreds of public meetings and 37,000 questionnaires, 93 per cent of respondents said not enough was known about the long-term effects of GM foods on health, while 86 per cent said they would not eat it. Concern about pollution of organic and other farms was mentioned by 95 per cent, while 93 per cent said GM technology was driven more by profit than public interest.

There has also been concern over the close relationship between the Labour Government and Monsanto. David Hill, Tony Blair's new spin doctor, is a former adviser to Monsanto and Science Minister Lord Sainsbury holds a stake in a firm linked to Monsanto, which is handled by a blind trust. The GM row in Europe has escalated recently, with comments from EU environment commissioner Margaret Wallstrom that GM companies were lying and trying to force unsuitable crops on European farmland.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-199884/GM-giant-quits-Britain-amid-backl...
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28 comments // Monsanto quits GMOs in Britain amid intense backlash

  • Anji_Bunji
  • artemis6
  • Tayllerand
  • Tayllerand
    • 0
      Tayllerand  

    • After spraying my lawn with weed killers, I walk bear feet over my lawn to feel those healthy chemicals getting absorb through my skin. Monsanto you are so good.

    • 4 months ago
  • Truthitswhatsfordinner
  • JanforGore
  • Anonmaly
    • +2
      Anonmaly  

    • Am thinking it will take allot more effort here... We're still about the biggest commercial agriculture nation on the planet....

    • 4 months ago
  • Gravity_Man
  • Vierotchka
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  

    • http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/01/organic_farmers.php

      The patent hearing took place in NYC today, and the judge stated she would render a decision as to whether it will go to trial by March.

      "A U.S. District Court hearing in downtown New York today could determine the eventual fate of several organic farmers from across the country, including some in upstate New York.

      The hearing centered on a "pre-emptive" suit led by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGTA), against agricultural giant Monsanto. In it, OSGTA says it brought "this action to protect [farmers] from ever being accused of infringing patents on transgenic seed." Monsanto filed to dismiss the case, and today lawyers for both sides made their arguments in front of U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald.

      Monsanto has a long history of using patents to control the market share on crop seeds. Its genetically modified seeds are considered intellectual property, and Monsanto regularly sues small family and organic farmers who are found using the seeds without a license, even if they were unaware of the mistake. Wind drift and birds often transfer the seeds without farmers knowledge, a regular occurence in nature -- but the use of genetically modified seeds is not allowed if farmers want to market their crops as "organic."

      As a result, many, many small organic and family farms have found themselves ruined or in massive debt to the St. Louis company, and so in March 2011, the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed a motion on behalf of OSGTA and 82 other farming associations (including the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York), challenging Monsanto's iron-clad patents.

      The farmers' cause has since been picked up by the Occupy movement, which mobilized today on Twitter and outside the courthouse in support of the farmers. They carried signs with slogans like "Stop Frankenfruit," and "Keep Our Food Open Source."

      The judge has said she will make a decision on whether the case will move to trial by March 31."

    • 4 months ago
  • William_Knight
    • +1
      William_Knight  
    • JanforGore:

      I really love your comment. It it is however strange that as of last week Monsanto's share price is at a 52 week high despite the recent negative press surrounding them. Of course Bill Gates who is a major shareholder in the company has been recently using 'scare' tactics to promote the use of GM crops, quoting that 'GMO Crops Needed to Fight Starvation'. I wonder then if Gates is sitting on a good investment or poison stock?. What ever the outcome I feel Bill Gates will continue to fly the flag for Monsanto for less than ethical reasons. Monsanto's PR company must be working flat-out at the moment to prevent Gates facing starvation oh wait that's not going to happen.

    • 4 months ago
  • circlesquared
  • JanforGore
  • circlesquared
  • Anonmaly
  • letsliveinpeace
  • JanforGore
  • cmc101
  • queenofit
    • +6
      queenofit  

    • Whoopiee!!! It can be done! Of course UK has always been less than favorable toward GMO's and having the support of Prince Charles has helped I bet. I wish we had a public figure who would take a public stand against them here in the USA, seems we are bought and paid for here. Well done UK! Folks in the US need to wake up and realize this GMO farce is a bogus deal. Snake oil and mirrors I say.

    • 4 months ago
  • letsliveinpeace
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  
    • queenofit:

      I bet his words helped as well. Now we need to fight them going to Africa and get them out of these other places. They are also trying to get them into Nepal and facing protest. They don't even care if the location is a World Heritage Site. Farmers in South America are already pushing for and winning stoppages of the use of glyphosate due to illnesses associated with aerial spraying there. There is an all out war in Buenos Aires... funny however, we never see this in any media in this country. Again, Current could be the global leader in exposing these wrongs to humanity while educating masses of people who would otherwise not have this important knowledge to protect their health.

    • 4 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +3
      JanforGore  
    • letsliveinpeace:

      In response to previous comment about Keith Olbermann taking this public here:

      I have been out here for years along with others trying to get this out any way we can as have many others including Andrew Kimbrell (who is in the video below) who has been at the forefront of the lawsuits. Also, Jeffrey Smith has travelled the US and the world as well as writing books on this, as has Dr. Vandana Shiva. It isn't that there aren't voices willing to take this public here it is just that the media in this country has chosen to once again play to their masters instead of doing their job. But if you think Keith Olberman would be allowed to discuss this then please do alert him to the work being done on this end to spread information and let's see where it goes.

    • 4 months ago
  • letsliveinpeace
  • JanforGore
    • +1
      JanforGore  
    • letsliveinpeace:

      Yes and I said no problem. Regardless of who typed it I think it is valid to be responded to. How old is your daughter? The comment that she then thought Keith Olbermann would be one to make this public was actually a good comment.

    • 4 months ago
  • letsliveinpeace
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • +7
      JanforGore  

    • Of course, they attribute this to a corporate restructuring and they will continue to sell their poison in Asia, Africa and South America. But to see them back out of the UK, France, as well as seeing their GMOs pushed out of Hungary, Poland, Ireland, etc. proves that when enough people raise their voices change can come. We here in the U.S. need to get louder about this. Especially when questions about it are censored.

    • 4 months ago
  • Truthitswhatsfordinner
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