Monsanto

Statement From Monsanto In Response To GeneWatch Press Release 04/09/00

The document referred to in the GeneWatch press release is a confidential internal Monsanto document which provides internal communications of our regulatory and scientific outreach activities in various countries for the months of May and June 2000. The summary demonstrates the extensive effort that Monsanto invests to ensure that we comply with the stringent and evolving regulations and regulatory requirements for every Monsanto product around the world. It also demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the safety of plant biotechnology products is subject to the scrutiny of internationally recognised scientists to assure sound, state-of-the-art, science-based risk assessment and to enhance the public's confidence in the safety of these products.

The document shows that internal coordination and communication are necessary to respond to changing regulations and data requirements, to function effectively as an organisation and to avoid duplication of efforts. Furthermore, as members of industry and scientific organisations in various countries, these communications help us stay informed regarding regulatory activities and decisions made in countries around the world.

As to specifics:

• Along with other interested parties, Monsanto participates with a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide nominations of internationally recognised scientists to participate in international expert panels. Some of the nominations which are forwarded are appointed to these expert panels, while many others are not. This is the same, well-established process by which other members of industry and NGOs provide nominations of scientists for expert consultations. This process assures that the views of all stakeholders are represented in such international fora.
• We are frequently contacted by numerous regulatory agencies and governmental laboratories around the world for information, scientific support, reference samples and detection methods for our plant biotechnology products. Responding to these requests enables scientists to develop standardised detection methodologies to comply with national and international regulatory requirements. Monsanto's cooperation is important to enable individual countries to enforce their own legislation for our products and to develop and harmonise detection methods globally for all agricultural biotechnology products.
• In response to requests from scientists, regulators, journalists, critics and supporters of agricultural biotechnology, Monsanto has expanded its efforts to provide scientific information on our products and plant biotechnology to interested audiences. Such communications are published directly by Monsanto scientists. We also respond to requests to provide information to other scientists who are writing articles on various aspects of plant biotechnology. It is surprising that Monsanto should be criticised for responding to these requests and making our information publicly available.
• We have been in conversations with many organisations worldwide to hear and address their concerns about biotechnology. It is unfortunate that rather than enter into a meaningful dialogue, GeneWatch has chosen instead to resort to this type of innuendo and attack. No one benefits from this.

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For more information, please contact:

UK     Ann Foster         +44 20 7495 8455
US     Scarlett Foster    + 1 314 694 2883