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European agricultural policy goes down the tubers

Nature Biotechnology volume 30, pages 492–493 (2012)Cite this article

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To the Editor:

A news story in the March issue1 notes the announcement by Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany–based agrochemical company BASF of a discontinuation of its breeding efforts for genetically modified (GM) crops adapted to European conditions. The multinational is closing its agricultural branch in Europe and choosing instead to focus on the American and Asian markets; meanwhile, BASF's chemical manufacturing facilities in Europe remain intact. This is the latest example of the combination of overly restrictive legislation on genetically modified organisms and a deep political and market mistrust that has had a profound chilling effect on the innovative environment for European agricultural research. The flight of BASF from Europe, though, is likely to have several other repercussions for European agriculture and food availability that have yet to play out, particularly with respect to potato production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden

    Christina Dixelius & J F Sundström

  2. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

    Torbjörn Fagerström

Authors
  1. Christina Dixelius
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  2. Torbjörn Fagerström
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  3. J F Sundström
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Correspondence to J F Sundström.

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Dixelius, C., Fagerström, T. & Sundström, J. European agricultural policy goes down the tubers. Nat Biotechnol 30, 492–493 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.2255

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