EU approves biotech spud

Industrial cultivar first GM approval in more than a decade

By DAVE WILKINS
Capital Press

The first genetically modified crop to gain approval in the European Union in more than a decade is a potato.

The Amflora potato developed by BASF is not intended for human consumption, but rather for animal feed and industrial use based on its high starch content.

In the United States, the potato industry is still a few years away from releasing another genetically modified spud, officials said.

Authorization of the Amflora potato marks the first biotech crop approved for domestic propagation in the EU in more than a decade, said Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

"This represents an encouraging first step towards remedying an impasse that has put EU farmers at a disadvantage in the competitive marketplace," Lauritsen said in a news release.

Genetically engineered crops are grown by 14 million farmers worldwide, but the EU has lagged behind, she said.

Approval of the Amflora potato probably doesn't signal any significant easing of public concerns about genetically modified crops in Europe, said John Keeling, executive vice president of the National Potato Council.

U.S. consumers have generally been more accepting of biotech crops, he said. There are some companies with genetically modified potato varieties in the development and testing phase in the United States.

"It's clear that in the next several years there are going to be requests for GM potatoes in the U.S.," Keeling said.

The industry wants to avoid a repeat of what happened with the release of the first U.S. biotech spud, Monsanto's New Leaf potato in the mid-1990s.

Many farmers welcomed the New Leaf potato with its built-in protection against the Colorado potato beetle and some potato viruses. But it failed to gain acceptance in some key markets, including fast food chains, and was ultimately scrapped.

The fallout lasted for years. In 2001, the industry was forced to initiate a costly testing program for U.S. dehydrated exports after Japan recalled millions of dollars worth of snack food products containing dehydrated genetically modified potatoes.

Keeling said it's imperative that companies evaluate consumer reaction and the potential impact on export markets.

The industry also wants more clarity about the regulatory and legal landscape that biotech potato varieties might have to navigate.

USDA approval of biotech alfalfa and sugar beets has not ensured smooth sailing for those crops. In both cases, the USDA granted approval, but a federal court later ordered the agency to go back and conduct an exhaustive environmental impact statement after lawsuits were filed.

In the case of Roundup Ready alfalfa, the court issued an injunction halting the planting of any additional acres without conducting an evidentiary hearing.

The Supreme Court has agreed to review the case on appeal by Monsanto.

Several agricultural groups, including the National Potato Council, American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief on March 8 in support of Monsanto's position.

Once a genetically modified crop is approved by government regulators and farmers start growing it, the approval should stand, Keeling said.

"It should not be subject to second guessing by the courts," he said. "You can't put growers in that position."