BASF to end GM (genetically-modified) crop production for the EU

European Voice ^ | 16.01.2012 | 17:39 CET | Dave Keating

[Olog-hai]

German chemical company BASF today (16 January) announced that it is stopping production of genetically-modified (GM) crops for the European market, citing hostility from consumers as the reason for the decision.

“There is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe — from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians,” said Stefan Marcinowski, a member of BASF's board. “It does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”

The company will move its plant-science unit from Limburgerhof in Germany to the United States. It will also close other sites in Germany and Sweden.

BASF said it has already halted work on the Amflora potato, a GM crop licensed by the European Commission in 2010. The potato was later withdrawn from the market after an unapproved GM variety was discovered. BASF's withdrawal from the market leaves Monsanto's MON810 maize as the only remaining GM crop authorized for cultivation in the EU. …

Several GM varieties have been approved for importation into the EU, but only Amflora and MON810 have been approved for cultivation. No GM crop has yet been approved by the EU for human consumption, they are instead being used by industry and as animal feed. GM crops are widely used in other markets, including the United States. …

[Tenacious 1]

Cue the Muppets.......

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Another mega production outfit locating some manufacturing to the US. Bet they land in Indiana.

[jdsteel]

Liberalism=inefficiencies. Keep using that non-GM stuff and dealing with the problems that motivated people to come up with GM derived solutions.

[PGR88]

The Europeans even have a fear of pollen from GMO crops showing up in honey - what seemingly would be a small matter has even led to trade spats with Brazil and Argentina.

In my experience, Europeans have a very strong luddite and authoritarian strain. Beyond our patrimony of Western Culture, I feel there is very little that the USA should emulate in Europe.

[KarlInOhio]

Here's a question. Since hybridization is still allowed, and genetic testing and genome analysis is getting cheaper and cheaper, is it considered genetic modification if you hybridize plants in large quantities in the lab and then pick out the seeds which just happen to have the genetic combinations you desire and would have made if you could have genetically engineered them? Sure, you won't get some of the transspecies gene transfers like you could with GM, but you get a lot more targeted hybridization than you would if you had to rely on just picking out the choice hybrids after they grow.

[Beagle8U]

To the Euro-peeons, it isn't real food without the spots and worms.

[Theoria]

Some groups are picky. Japanese prefer their own produce, as do S. Koreans. If Europe wants non-GMO and country of origin labeling, that’s on them.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I woder if Canola oil is sold in Europe...

[PGR88]

If Europe wants non-GMO and country of origin labeling, that’s on them.

Yes. They certainly can/should choose what they want to eat.

[slag]

As per your post – yes you could and would have a genetically engineered plant, but the definition of genetically-modified means that you insert a gene that is from another species or a foreign gene to that is not specific to that genome. Hence Roundup Ready corn became GM when a Roundup tolerant gene was found in a certain bacteria, isolated and inserted into the corn DNA. Conventional hybridization has always been done as you describe in the lab, except desired genetic combinations are found by growing the F1 hybrids and selecting the desired traits visually.

[Dr. Sivana]

All I know about BASF is that their blank audio cassettes stunk, but cost as much or more than TDK and Maxell.

[NonValueAdded]

“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature”

[AnotherUnixGeek]

German chemical company BASF today (16 January) announced that it is stopping production of genetically-modified (GM) crops for the European market, citing hostility from consumers as the reason for the decision.

Luddites. There is no scientific basis for this "hostility" to GM crops - it's just uninformed superstitious fear. And yet the same folks who mindlessly oppose so-called "Frankenfood" believe themselves qualified to inform the rest of us that "the science is settled" when it comes to global warming.

[org.whodat]

Now that is the truth, none of them can explain to me why they do not moo from drinking cows milk.