February 8, 2008
Wheat Industry Releases Brakes on GMO
‘Simultaneous release’ with other countries
Scott A. Yates
Capital Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. - ASAP. That's how fast the wheat industry wants a biotech trait.
A Feb. 5 meeting of the Joint Biotech Committee of U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers revealed an industry eager to get back in the GMO game, even if it means releasing a trait here before Australia or Canada. In the past, a unilateral release was viewed as a major hurdle because of the perceived marketing advantage a non-GMO wheat supplier might have in a market like Japan, where the technology is viewed with suspicion.
Although the biotech committee would prefer a "simultaneous release," it is no longer a condition. Al Slogen, a North Dakota wheat grower who serves on the biotech panel, said the condition has been a burden weighing down tech providers' ability to move forward.
"We can't have anchors that tell the tech industry 'here we go again,'" he said.
Sherman Reese, former president of NAWG and an Oregon wheat commissioner, agreed. Speaking from the audience, he said it's time to see what's possible, rather than being hamstrung out of fear of the consequences.
"My take is there is not a lot of concern about biotech wheat. The concern is that there is wheat at all," he said.
The current mood is a far cry from the conflicted attitude that existed when Monsanto was trying to get the industry behind the release of Roundup Ready wheat at the turn of the century. Back then, USW warned of markets being lost and backed up its claim with surveys of buyers who said they would cease buying all U.S. wheat if a GMO wheat trait were commercialized.
Monsanto ultimately shelved its Roundup Ready wheat technology and shut down its wheat research four years ago. Since then, wheat acreage has continued to lose ground against soybeans and corn, crops that saw single-gene genetically modified traits introduced in 1996. Stacked traits involving multiple genes are now being planted.
Wheat growers continue to sit on the sidelines. Syngenta has put a fusarium-resistant biotech trait through field trials, but it has not started the commercialization process. BASF is said to be in the midst of developing a drought-tolerant biotech variety, but an invitation for company officials to meet with the biotech committee was politely rejected. An e-mail explained the research is in a very early phase and "we are not in the position to talk about target markets and business potential at the moment."
Michael Doane, who served as Monsanto's point man during its Roundup Ready wheat push, sat in on the biotech committee's meeting. Although he has a different assignment within the company now, the chairman of the biotech committee, Joe Kejr, asked for his input.
"It's worthwhile to consider what the technification of other crops will do to wheat over the next eight to 12 years. Drought tolerance, nitrogen use efficiency, better yield - these things are all going to come in other crops," Doane said, adding the wheat industry needs to send a signal that the crop is open for investment. "That is the most important thing you can do now."
To accomplish that, several members of the biotech committee plan to visit BASF and Bayer headquarters in North Carolina in the next couple of months to talk with top executives. Although the message of cooperation is also being communicated to Monsanto, there was no discussion at the biotech committee of revisiting Roundup Ready wheat.
The North American Millers Association, which has expressed concern over GMOs in the past, feels comfortable with the direction growers are taking. Betsy Faga, president of NAMA, said millers, bakers and food manufacturers all recognize what is happening to prices and supplies and what it means.
"I don't think anybody has the feeling that producers are over here and we're back over here," she said.
Vince Peterson, vice president of overseas operations for USW, said current high prices have given his organization a particular opportunity to get the biotech message out to customers.
"We do have their attention. This is a good time to talk about it," he said, adding that in every meeting the organization attends, the need for biotechnology to be in farmers' toolbox is incorporated into supply/demand and price outlook presentations.
