NRC Newspaper, Netherlands
 
Saturday 12 January 2002 page 1

Headline: TESTING OF "GENETIC CROPS" HALTED

From the science editors

Rotterdam 12 Jan. 

Seed breeding company Advanta Seeds BV from Rilland closes 
definitely the doors of its laboratory for tests with genetically 
manipulated crops. Since Advanta was by far the biggest in this 
area, the decision means that there will be a virtual end of this 
kind of testing in the Netherlands. 

According to spokesperson Cees Noome of Advanta it is an 
"economic decision". The company estimates that the coming 5 to 
10 years no money can be made with GE agrarial products in 
Europe. "The consumer in general here is not interested at all in 
genetically manipulated products. This also shows from the 
conclusions of the Terlouw committee this week. That means these 
products will not be in the shop soon and thus we must watch out".
Noome is convinced that GE products will return in 10 years in 
Europe, "but than as licensed by American biotechnology
companies like Monsanto". In the US the development of GE crops 
continues unhindered and farmers en masse have adopted the new varieties.
Advanta will continue in the US with the development of a GE corn. 
In Europe this corn may also be sold, but Advanta has "not sold 
one seed of it" according to Noome. The dairy industry and 
supermarket chains ban biotechnology from food products out of fear 
of negative consumer reactions. 

In the past 15 years Advanta invested almost 10 million Euros in 
GE plant breeding. For almost all 25 employees who worked on 
GE in the company a place has been found in the classical 
breeding programme, which makes up for 90% of the turnover of 
Advanta.

According to Noome the strict Dutch policy towards field trials with 
GE crops, that environmental Minister Pronk started some years 
ago wa already "the nail to the coffin" of GE research. "Because 
Pronk banned anti-biotics resistance in crops, three years of 
research went down the drain". says Noome. 

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment says in a reaction 
that research on GE crops is not dead with this decision. "Look for 
example at potato concern Avebe. That company presented last 
month a new GE potato, that meets the strict demands". 

Avebe expects, as opposed to Advanta, that GE agrarial products 
can become a commercial success, although according to Avebe 
spokesman Harry Jasken  "the climate in society is not very 
favourable". 

Translation WdL