Monsanto's Uphill GMO Fight in Germany

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Like many farmers in the area around Kitzingen, Dennerlein has been waging a longstanding war against the European corn borer moth. In 2006, the moths descended upon the cornfields and laid their eggs. The resulting larvae ate their way into the plants and destroyed about 40 percent of the harvest, despite the use of pesticides. 2007 was a better year, but still not a good one, prompting Dennerlein to sow MON 810 seed in 2008.

As required by law, Dennerlein had his planned use of the GM seed recorded in the site register of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection, which is open to the public and viewable online. A short time later, activist Michael Grolm appeared on Dennerlein's farm, wearing his beekeeper's outfit.

After a friendly greeting, Grolm introduced himself and informed Dennerlein that he was about to receive a visit—by Gendreck Weg!—and that the group planned to liberate his fields. It was nothing personal, Grolm said, and no one would be harmed.

Dennerlein disagreed, noting that he would most certainly be harmed, economically speaking. "But what can you do against these people?" he says, shrugging his shoulders, pointing that he cannot exactly transform his farm into a high-security zone.

The field liberators came at night. Dennerlein says that they uprooted the wrong plants, not the genetically modified ones, and that he harvested his GM corn in October: "10 tons per hectare—flawless." Dennerlein also knows exactly how much money he saves by using MON 810. It is an important number, perhaps even the most important number of all for him. It appears at the bottom of his balance sheet, and it describes the direct benefit that MON 810 provides, perhaps its only real benefit. It is a number that should correspond to the scope and intensity of the conflict, a number meant to impress.

The number is 43. Dennerlein saves €43 ($54) per hectare. That is the amount he saves on pesticides because MON 810 is a more reliable killer. Dennerlein calls this number his palpable savings: €43. It may seem like a lot of money for Dennerlein, but it is not exactly a strong argument for green genetic engineering.

A New Adversary

Dennerlein is a tenacious man. He refuses to allow a handful of environmental activists to dictate to him what he can and cannot grow on his land. This is why he intends to sow MON 810 once again this year, but it's now highly uncertain if he will actually be able to go ahead with his plan. In fact, it is quite possible that Dennerlein will plant nothing and that Lüttmer-Ouazane will have to write "not a single hectare planted with MON 810" in her report to Monsanto's US headquarters. A few weeks ago, the farmer and the executive acquired a new adversary.

Germany's Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner recently told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper that the government was looking into banning Monsanto's GM corn. She noted that green genetic engineering "has so far not yielded tangible benefits for the people," and that consumers are opposed to genetically modified plants and farmers don't want them.

Aigner is having staff in her ministry look into whether the government can revoke the license for the cultivation of MON 810, because the GM corn not only decimates the European corn borer moth, but other, beneficial, insects as well.

If Aigner prevails against opposition from German Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan, the outcome of her staff's efforts could look something like this: Monsanto would be subject to new requirements, and the license for MON 810 would be temporarily revoked prior to this year's seeding and not renewed until after elections to the European Parliament in June. This could provide a boost to Aigner's party, the CSU, if she could portray it as a success ahead of the elections.

For now Dennerlein, the hog farmer and MON 810 fan, is not taking such reports seriously. He has a low opinion of politicians, noting: "They suffer from the constant pressure to raise their profile. What can you do?"

Bablok, the amateur beekeeper, hopes for the best: for himself, for his bees and for his lawsuit. Michael Grolm, the field liberator, says that he will not believe the minister until she has actually announced a ban.

And Monsanto? It says that it wants to have a conversation, for now.

Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan

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