Monsanto‘s spokeswoman in Germany, Ursula Lüttmer-Ouazane, says that her company won’t keep trying to get licences for GM crops in Europe. Why? Because people don’t want GM (genetically modified, also called genetically engineered, GE) crops here. Ms Lüttmer-Ouazane says that ‘it’s counter-productive to tilt against windmills’.
In case you don’t know, ’tilting against windmills’ means wasting effort on fights you’ll never win. I feel a surge of nationalist pride! We are that windmill.
It’s a long time since we in Britain stopped fighting our German neighbours. We get on just fine now. So today, I invite my fellow Europeans to join me singing to the tune of the Dad’s Army theme ‘Who do you think you are kidding, Big Monsanto?’
I’m grateful to the not-for-profit campaign against GM crops, GM Watch, for drawing attention to this story. You can read more by my fellow blogger Janina at Food (Policy) for Thought here.
[Edit] But the story didn’t end there.
Science on the Land 
I told you that civilized countries would have no part in it.
Snork! (To others reading this: Eqfe is a N American who’s often voiced his opinions about GM crops.)
Reblogged this on Dear Kitty. Some blog and commented:
Good news! I hope there is not some “snake in the grass”, meaning allegoric Monsanto “snake” (I like real grass snakes).
Yes we shall see. Thank you for reblogging.
I agree about real snakes, which are lovely.
Reblogged this on bearspawprint and commented:
Do hope it will not be like in Oregon, USA where the GM just “appeared” in a field.
Thank you for reblogging. The Oregon escapee was Roundup Ready wheat, never approved for sale, wasn’t it? https://argylesock.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/roundup-ready-wheat/
That is my understanding. However I have only read articles which did not provide documentation, only hear-say.
That is a really important result. And it’s a huge reason why the UK should remain part of the European economic power block. It’s a battle that we couldn’t fight on our own.
Yes it’s a bombshell of a news item isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I never saw this one coming.
We have to stay alert. I don’t trust them. Did you know, “Gift” is the German word for poison. So a gift from Monsanto…
Timeo danaos et dona ferrentes 🙂
In fact I didn’t know that. My language skills are scant so would you mind translating your last sentence into English?
I agree about not trusting Big Monsanto. That one company is too powerful for my liking.
That means “I fear the Danaans even if they are bringing gifts”. The Danaans are the greek people from the mainland who fought Troy. This citation refers to the story of the Trojan horse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeo_Danaos_et_dona_ferentes). A classical expression of mistrust.
The more stories I hear about Monsanto, the less I trust them – I wouldn’t put it past the blighters to sneak in through the back door somehow, if they think they can get away with it.
Still, this is good news.
Me too. I think the global commodity markets will react in ways that I don’t pretend to understand well.
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