Monsanto Company (Press Release)

The statement from Dr Patrick O'Reilly, Business Manager, Monsanto Ireland.

“We are very pleased with the courts decision, particularly its comprehensive nature and the fact that a standard for risk assessment of GMO field trials has been set.

The safety of the conduct of GMO field trials is of paramount importance to Monsanto. Clearly, the court found that the EPA and Monsanto adhered to the strict regulations designed to ensure that safety. These field trials are part of a systematic process of evaluating these products for safety and efficacy. These trials do not pose risks to human health or the environment.

We are very happy that these complex issues have been adjudicated in a thorough manner and we now look forward to continuing the field trials in progress. More than twenty years of research with GMO crops have not produced a single case of damage to the environment or human health. There have been 25,000 field trials in over 30 different countries and involving 50 different crops, without any evidence of damage to human health or the environment. Additionally over 70 million acres of GMO crops have been grown commercially across the world this year, all fully approved and deemed safe.

Monsanto welcomes the current discussion on biotechnology and will contribute to that discussion in the future. We believe that biotechnology has enormous potential for Ireland, for the food industry, for consumers and for the environment.”

For further information please contact:

Michael Parker/Michael Keane Fleishman-Hillard Saunders

Ph: 01 6188459