SOUTH AFRICAN FREEZE ALLIANCE ON GENETIC
ENGINEERING (SAFeAGE)

MONSANTO GRABS SOUTHERN AFRICAN SEED MARKET BUT SA FARMERS GIVE GMOS COLD
SHOULDER

3 May 2005

Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa-According to research conducted by the
African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa's commercial growing of
genetically modified (GM) maize, soya and cotton has been grossly
exaggerated by the biotechnology industry for propaganda purposes.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA), an industry supported organisation, consistently tries to inflate
the figures of GM plantings around the world to support the argument that GM
crops are here to stay. Despite South Africa's permissive GMO laws,
Monsanto South Africa has estimated production of its GM maize (MON 810 and
NK603) in South Africa to constitute no more than a total of 6-7% of the
area under maize, less than the ISAAA's estimate of 15-20% of GM maize grown
during 2004.

South Africa does not produce enough cotton for domestic needs and has to
import the shortfall each year. In 2003/04 the area planted to cotton was
less than one-fifth of the area under cotton in the late 1980s. Despite the
dominance of Monsanto's GM cotton varieties, no more than 30 000 ha was
planted to GM cotton in 2003, even though it represents 75% of the
cottonseed planted in that year.

South Africa's soyabean industry is similarly small and no more than 41 000
ha of Monsanto's GM (glysophate tolerant) soya was grown in South Africa
during 2004. However, during 2001-2005, just more than 67 000 tons of GM
soya was imported for animal feed; equivalent to about 8% of South Africa's
domestic soyabean production over the same period.

This brings the total land under GM crops in South Africa to around 300 000
ha and not the 500 000 ha claimed by ISAAA.

Despite its historical status as a net exporter of maize, South Africa has
become reliant on imports from Argentina and the US of enormous amounts of
GM maize. GM maize imports during the period 1999-2005, estimated to be in
access of 2.6 million tons (MON 810, Bt11, Bt176 and TA25) are equivalent to
over 7.5% of the domestic production in South Africa in the 2001-2004
growing seasons. Almost all GM seed imported into South Africa contains
Monsanto's technology.

The study also shows that South Africa is being used as a base from which to
distribute GM food aid to the region. South Africa has also become an
important country for GM seed bulking (propagating seed in volume for
commercial use) and a base to produce GM seed for international distribution
for experimentation/consumption.

Alarmingly, the study shows that Monsanto, the globally dominant company in
the agrochemical, seed and agricultural biotechnology sector has about 45%
of the South African maize seed market share and almost the entire market
share for wheat seed. In 2005, Monsanto had at least 15 yellow maize, 11
white maize, 17 wheat, 4 soybean and 5 sunflower varieties on the market.
The recent acquisition of Seminis, the global vegetable company, with nearly
60 vegetable and melon seed varieties registered by Seminis South Africa
gives Monsanto an entry point into the vegetable seed market,

As the engine for the distribution of commercial seed into Southern Africa,
control by Monsanto over South Africa's seed supply means control over
Southern Africa's commercial seed supply. Monsanto has identified Brazil,
India and South Africa as focal points for its efforts to expand into the
developing world.

The South African government supports genetic modification in agriculture
and has also used its own infrastructure and resources to encourage positive
attitudes in the public. The state's support has allowed South Africa to
become a base for expansion into Africa, for export of GM seed around the
world and as an experimental base for new GM crops not approved elsewhere.

The full report "A Profile of Monsanto in South Africa" produced by the
African Centre for Biosafety, April 2005 is available on
www.biosafetyafrica.net

For further information contact:

Glenn Ashton (SAFeAge) 083 403 6263
Mariam Mayet, (African Centre for Biosafety) 084 68 333 74
Stephen Greenberg, Researcher, 083 988-2983

RESOURCES

In South Africa
African Centre for Biosafety (www.biosafetyafrica.net)
Biowatch South Africa (www.biowatch.org.za)
Earthlife Africa (www.earthlife-ct.org.za)
GM Free Africa (www.gmfreeafrica.org/gmfa_main/)
South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (Safeage)
(www.safeage.org)

Other useful info on Monsanto
Badcorp.org (www.badcorp.org)
Consumers International (www.consumersinternational.org)
Corporate Watch (www.corporatewatch.org)
Corporate Dirt Archives (www.corporations.org/corplist.html)
GeneWatch (www.genewatch.org)
GMWatch (www.gmwatch.org)
GRAIN (www.grain.org)
Monsanto (www.monsanto.com)
Monsanto South Africa (www.monsanto.co.za)
Monsanto Watch (www.monsantowatch.org.uk)
Millions Against Monsanto (http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
Multinational Monitor (www.multinationalmonitor.org