Potato III – Monsanto 1

March 2010: German chemical giant BASF has won approval from the European Commission for commercial growing of a GM starchy potato for production into potato starch for industrial use. Once the starch has been removed, the skins can also be fed to livestock. Farms in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic may plant the potato. BASF fought a 13-year battle to win approval for the GM potato called "Amflora". "Not only are we against this decision, but we want to underscore that we will not allow the questioning of member states' sovereignty on this matter," said Italy's Agriculture Minister, Luca Zaia. Austria said it would ban cultivation of the potato within its borders, while France said it would ask an expert panel for further research.

World potato centre of diversity bans GE: In June 2010, the Peruvian Congress announced a ten year moratorium on the cultivation of GE crops. In 2007, the Cusco region in Peru declared a ban on the growing, sale, use and transport of genetically engineered potatoes in recognition of the historical, cultural, social and economic importance of the potato to the region. The Andean region, which includes Peru, is the center of origin for the potato.

Victory for the Potato! October 2009: South Africa’s GM body, the Executive Council (EC), has rejected attempts by the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) to bring GM potatoes onto the market. The EC cited no less than 11 biosafety and socioeconomic and agronomic concerns for rejecting ARC’s commercial release application. Its five year field trial programme has chewed up considerable public funds as well as having been bankrolled by USAID and Michigan State University. Click here to read the letter from CBAN to the South African goverment, Aug 29, 2008.

Monsanto withdrew its GE Potatoes in North America 2005: Monsanto's genetically engineered insect resistant (Bt) potatoes were approved in Canada back in 1996 but consumers rejected them and they are no longer sold anywhere in the world. Click here for the full story of what happened to Monsanto’s potatoes in Canada.