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GMO giant BASF leaves Europe

Brussels, January 16 - Following the announcement today by Germany-based BASF that it is halting the development and commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe, Adrian Bebb, from Friends of the Earth Europe said:

“This is another nail in the coffin for genetically modified foods in Europe. No one wants to eat them and few farmers want to grow them. This is a good day for consumers and farmers and opens the door for the European Union to shift Europe to greener and more publicly acceptable farming."

In its announcement BASF states that it has stopped the commercialisation of the Amflora potato, the GM crop licensed by John Dalli, Health and Consumer Commissioner in 2010. However, in the first year of cultivation the potatoes were contaminated with an unlicensed GM variety by BASF and withdrawn from the market.

Adrian Bebb continued: “This is an embarrassment for Commissioner John Dalli. On coming into office he nailed his name to the GM mast, and approved BASF’s GM potato for commercial growing. Two years later, BASF has pulled the plug and the decline of GMOs continues."

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For more information please contact:

Adrian Bebb, food campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe, 00 49 16094901163, adrian.bebb[at]foeeurope.org

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NOTES:

BASF press release: www.basf.com/group/pressrelease/P-12-109

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.

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