Because the big money is expected to come mainly from the other side of the atlantic, the company is moving the headquarters of its subsidiary for so-called green genetic engineering from limburgerhof near ludwigshafen to the usa. In large parts of europe, there is still a lack of acceptance for plant biotechnology among the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians, the company announced on monday. BASF has repeatedly come under fire for its genetically modified potato "amflora. The decision affects around 200 jobs in rhineland-palatinate and saxony-anhalt.
The federal government would not comment on the move. It is a business decision, said a spokeswoman for the ministry of economics. The ministry of consumer protection also refused to take a stand. For rhineland-palatinate’s environment minister ulrike hofken (grune), the planned transfer is the result of the lack of success of genetically modified products. Consumers in germany and europe reject genetically modified food and animal feed.
Greenpeace biologist dirk zimmermann called the decision consistent. "There is a good reason why there is no chance for genetic engineering in europe."Consumers reject the products, and the liability issue poses major risks for farmers. In addition, there can be no coexistence of genetically engineered and conventional agriculture because of the risk of intermixing. "We don’t want these plants to come onto the fields because they can’t be controlled." The producers’ association bioland in mainz also buried the move. This shows that the massive resistance is having an effect, said spokesman gerald wehde.
Rhineland-palatinate FDP leader volker wissing, on the other hand, denounced the "hostility to progress of the greens. Highly skilled jobs and future investments were lost.
BASF plant science’s new site will be the research triangle park research center near raleigh in the u.S. State of north carolina. According to its own figures, the group subsidiary has around 840 employees worldwide, 157 of them in limburgerhof (rhineland-palatinate) and 57 in gatersleben (saxony-anhalt). In the future, there will be only eleven in limburgerhof, and gatersleben will be closed along with the site in svalov, sweden, which currently has six employees. According to the company, the majority of these positions will be relocated to other sites – primarily to raleigh, but also to berlin and gent in belgium. A total of 78 jobs to be cut in europe within two years.
"There will be no more "amflora" cultivation in germany," said BASF executive stefan marcinowski. However, there will probably still be one or two field trials as part of ongoing proceedings. He referred to the general conditions in europe, which had deteriorated. "I have no hope of a rapid change of opinion."
The BASF manager spoke of "a series of small snares" that had restricted action. Among other things, political developments contributed to this. The state governments elected in rhineland-palatinate and baden-wurttemberg, for example, have made a clear commitment to this technology. But even among potato growers, there is rough resistance, he says. In addition, the federal constitutional court has set strict limits on genetic engineering in agriculture.
BASF now wants to focus on the attractive markets in north and south america and the growth markets in asia. Competitor bayer also sees north and south america as growth centers for genetically modified products. But a bayer spokesman also said: "we are confident that the benefits of the technology will gradually be recognized by the public in europe."