Monsanto Drops Pursuit Of Genetically Engineered Lawn Grass
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
October, 22 2002 Peter T. Jenkins,
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MONSANTO DROPS PURSUIT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED LAWN GRASS
COMPANY'S WITHDRAWAL FOLLOWS LEGAL ACTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Washington, DC -Monsanto Co. has withdrawn its proposal to commercialize genetically engineered (GE) creeping bentgrass, a favored turfgrass for golf course greens and found in countless other lawns across the country. Several concerned experts had warned the proposed new product could become a "superweed." In August of this year the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA), a non-profit public interest group, filed a formal legal petition with USDA requesting a halt to its commercialization. The CTA petition detailed significant problems surrounding the use of the gene-altered grass including increased use of herbicides and the potential for ecological and economic disruption. This September, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory officials sent Monsanto a letter listing deficiencies in its application. USDA's action on Monsanto's proposal responds affirmatively to CTA's petition.
The GE grass variety is resistant to the top-selling weedkiller Roundup, a brand owned by Monsanto. Planting the GE grass would have allowed users to broadcast spray Roundup over lawns to kill weeds instead of spot-spraying or hand-pulling them. It was the first-ever GE plant product aimed at the vast non-agricultural markets, initially golf courses and eventually property managers and homeowners. Industry officials have said the potential market for GE lawn and garden products could approach $10 billion dollars annually.
"Commercialization of this grass would have been an environmental nightmare," said CTA Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell. "Monsanto had no choice but to withdraw the product given the legal action taken by CTA and the USDA response."
CTA's petition also requested that GE glyphosate-resistant creeping bentgrass be listed as a prohibited Federal noxious weed. But, USDA so far has refused to consider CTA's listing request for the GE variety due to the pending regulatory review.
"Now that Monsanto has withdrawn its application, we expect USDA will prohibit even experimental planting of this potential superweed," said Peter T. Jenkins, CTA Policy Analyst.
For a copy of the CTA petition, see: www.icta.org, under Actions. The USDA website listing the withdrawn application for the product is: www.aphis.usda.gov/bbep/bp/petday.html petition no 02-122-01.
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