BASF gives up on pushing GMOs in Europe, moves operations to US where 'Frankenfoods' are not labeled

Tuesday, April 03, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: BASF, GMOs, Europe

(NaturalNews) The latest health freedom victory in Europe means more toxic "Frankenfoods," aka genetically-modified (GM) crops, for the United States. EurActiv.com reports that Germany-based biotechnology giant BASF is officially calling it quits on trying to push GM crops in Europe. But the company's withdrawal means that it will be relocating its plant science headquarters from Limburgerhof, Germany, to Raleigh, North Carolina.

When explaining why BASF was pulling out of Europe entirely, Stefan Marcinowski, a company board member in charge of plant biotechnology, said in a statement that "the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians" in Europe oppose GMOs. He added that "it does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in [the European] market."

In contrast to American laws, labeling of GMOs is mandated across Europe, which means that the public is able to make a choice in the matter every time they purchase food for their families. As a result, the vast majority of European consumers are very aware of the presence of GMOs, and have wholly rejected them.

Similarly, Monsanto, which has met incredible resistance in introducing new GMOs to the European market, has decided to stop pushing MON810, a variety of GM corn that contains pesticides genetically engineered into its kernels. In 2010, Germany banned MON810, and France has continued to enforce a moratorium on its plantings, which are two examples of what Monsanto recently dubbed as "unfavorable conditions."

"This is another nail in the coffin for genetically modified foods in Europe," said Adrian Bebb, food campaigner for Friend of the Earth Europe, about the decision. "No one wants to eat them and few farmers want to grow them. This is a good day for consumers and farmers and opens the door for the European Union to shift Europe to greener and more publicly acceptable farming."

Both Monsanto and BASF's failures in Europe, however, are likely to result in an even more aggressive GMO push in the United States. As numerous states ramp up to pass GMO labeling laws in America, Monsanto and BASF are now directing even more of their attention at the American market, which is currently the world's most favorable for the stealth injection of GM poisons into the food supply.

This means that now is the time for Americans to stand up and resist GMOs by pushing for mandatory labeling. And you can help support this cause right now by taking a minute to demand that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforce food transparency for all Americans:
http://justlabelit.org/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.euractiv.com

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/anti-gmo-european-victory.html

https://www.naturalnews.com/030733_Germany_GMOs.html