Last Updated: April 30, 2004
March 2001 —
"So that you are completely clear on Rank Hovis's policy
toward GM wheat. We do not want any level of such grain in our
supplies from you. …. You should treat this issue with the
utmost gravity and priority given that the alarm generated by
even the perception that spring wheat may contain GM traits, could
be enough to jeopardize the entire export programme to the EU."
— Letter from Julian Watson of Rank Hovis, one of the EU's
largest millers to U.S. Wheat Associates. Cropchoice News, March
12, 2001.
March 2001 —
"With a competitive high quality wheat of non-GMO origin
(French/German/Canadian) available at a normal price, we are absolutely
convinced the European miller will abandon GMO HRS (Hard Red Spring)
wheat. GMO wheat for sure will be a market destructor." —
Jef Smidts, trader at Andre & CIE Antwerp in a letter to the
North Dakota Interim Agriculture Committee, May 7, 2002.
February 2001 —"…in
2003 GMO spring wheat will be introduced in the US and in 2004
France will stop buying Dark Northern Spring wheat from the US."
— French wheat miller representative, AGROGENE Seminar
PR Newswire Paris, February 26, 2001.
April
2003 — “In response to overwhelming customer
concern we have eliminated GM ingredients from all our own brand
food, pet food and dietary supplements…Our current policy
excludes all GM ingredients from our food products…Our suppliers
are required to have an independently verifiable system in place
that will include both audit trail and testing.” —
Salisbury’s (U.K. supermarket chain) response to Friends
of the Earth supermarket GM policy survey.
April 2003 —
“It has been Marks & Spencer policy since 1999 to source
non-gm ingredients for all our food products.” —
Marks & Spencer (U.K. supermarket chain) response to Friends
of the Earth supermarket GM policy survey.
April 2003 —“It
has been Iceland’s policy since May 1998, that we require
all Iceland Own Brand Products must contain No Genetically Modified
Ingredients. This includes all ingredients and their derivatives…Iceland
currently have no intention to include GM ingredients or derivatives
now or in the future…” —
Iceland (U.K. supermarket chain) response to Friends of the Earth
supermarket GM policy survey.
April 2003 —
“Co-op Brand products should not contain ingredients or
additives derived from a genetically modified source.” —
Co-op (U.K. supermarket chain) response to Friends of the Earth
supermarket GM policy survey.
April 2003 —
“Ingredients containing GM protein or DNA are excluded from
Asda Branded products… We would exclude wheat in line with
other crops covered in our technical (GM) policy.” —
Asda (U.K. supermarket chain) response to Friends of the Earth
supermarket GM policy survey.
February 2003 —
“I can’t stress how important it is to stop the commercialization
of GMO wheat – the supply system cannot guarantee to segregate,
as has already been well shown with StarLink corn.” —
Clive Ratcliff, Milford Grain, Liverpool, England
“Milford Grain says transgenic wheat is a bad idea”
February 21, 2003. CropChoice News.
February
2002 — "It could mean that we would completely
stop importing from that region if they could not guarantee that
it is not genetically modified. The reality is that for the time
being, our customers in Europe don't really want anything genetically
modified, and it's difficult to see that changing in the near
future. UK millers have regularly pressed Monsanto that for genetically
modified crops to have any marketing potential, they have to offer
consumers a benefit. Personally, I don't thing Roundup Ready offers
a lot to consumers." — Alexander Waugh, director-general
of NABIM (British and Irish Millers Association).
"European Buyers Warn U.S. Over Gene Wheat Plans,"
February 2, 2001, Reuters
August 2002 —
"I am going to ask you not to grow genetically modified wheat
until we are able to sell in our market the bread made from the
flour made from that wheat. I cannot tell you how to run your
business - but if you do grow genetically modified - or enhanced
- wheat, we will not be able to buy any of your wheat - neither
the GM nor the conventional. The latter because we will not be
able to guarantee the integrity of even the conventional to zero
content of GM." — Peter Jones, a wheat buyer at Rank
Hovis. Rank Hovis controls 30% of the milling and baking industries
in the United Kingdom.
"European and American Millers Tell U.S. Wheat Associates
Board to Go Slow on GM Wheat," August 28, 2002, Associated
Press.
March 2003 —
“If genetically modified wheat is approved in the United
States, this may jeopardize or make it impossible for us to buy
US wheat in the future. Consumers worldwide have serious concerns
regarding genetically modified foods. Many consumers in Italy
wish to avoid products derived from genetic modification. If genetically
modified wheat is introduced in the United States, we plan to
buy wheat from non-GM sources. It would be regrettable if we could
no longer purchase wheat from the United States.” —
Silvio Grassi, Administrator, Molino Grassi.
February 2003 —
"As president of GMI, I do not see any reason to expose the
company to the risks implied by accidental contamination with
GM wheat," — Antonio Costato, Grandi Molini Italiani
CEO.
"Top Italian miller to spurn gene-modified wheat,"
February 2, 2003, Reuters.
August 2002 —
"We will not only avoid buying GM wheat, but we will probably
be forced to completely avoid importing from those countries/regions
where it is known that GM wheat is grown." — Antonio
Costato, Grandi Molini Italiani CEO, outlining GMI's position
if the United States or Canada commercialized GM wheat.
"Italy's biggest miller spurns GM wheat" August
5, 2002, Reuters.
July 2002 —
"Wheat and bread are sacred in Europe and many other parts
of the world. If farmers and government officials in the US fail
to recognize that, they can kiss their markets goodbye."
— Nicolaas Konijnenkijk, President, AGRO Consulting and
Trading (Netherlands).
Letter to the North Dakota Interim Agriculture Committee, July
7, 2002.
April 2004 — "We
prefer the quality of North American spring wheat, but if GM wheat
is grown there, we would have to switch to other suppliers such
as Australia, Kazakhstan or Ukraine," said Helge Remberg,
marketing director for Unikorn, Norway's major grain importing
company.
“Norwegian importers concerned about genetically modified
wheat” April 27, 2004. CropChoice News.
February 2001 —
"We will never be in the market for it [genetically modified
wheat]. We have to listen to our customers, and they don't want
GM (genetically modified) wheat. If the U.S. goes ahead with this,
we'd have to turn to Canada and Kazakhstan to get those supplies."
— Kjetil Gran Bergsholm, a trader at Stakorn, a Norwegian
importer.
"European Buyers Warn U.S. over Gene Wheat Plans,"
February 2, 2001, Reuters.
