German chemical company BASF today announced it will be stopping production of genetically modified (GM) crops for the European market. The company blamed hostility from consumers as the reason behind its decision. Approval procedures in the EU take much longer than elsewhere and are frequently mired in stalemate, as politicians and member states' attitudes to GM differ.

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Stefan Marcinowski, a spokesperson for BASF, said, “There is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe – from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians. It does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”

The company announced it will now move its plant-science unit from Limburgerhof, Germany to the United States and would be closing other sites in Germany and Sweden. BASF said it would also be withdrawing its Amflora potato from the European market, leaving Monsanto’s MON810 maize as the only crop licensed for production in the EU. The Amflora potato, which is designed for industrial use, was licensed in 2010, but suffered a knock in its inaugural year when seeds were withdrawn after having been contaminated with an unlicensed variety.

However, the company said that although it would stop research in most of its European facilities (with the exception of Ghent and Berlin) it would continue seeking regulatory approval for a number of new crops, applications for which have already been submitted to the EU. These include other types of industrial potato.

Some German MPs have lamented the loss of BASF’s plant research in the EU, though the company itself seems content to take its business elsewhere; Mr Marcinowski said, "We will concentrate on the attractive markets for plant biotechnology in North and South America and the growth markets in Asia."

The news has been welcomed by environmental groups in the EU, who claim the pursuit of GM is driving agriculture in the wrong direction. Friends of the Earth Europe spokesperson Adrian Bebb said, “This is another nail in the coffin for genetically modified foods in Europe. No one wants to eat them and few farmers want to grow them. This is a good day for consumers and farmers and opens the door for the European Union to shift Europe to greener and more publicly acceptable farming."

The subject of genetic modification remains a controversial one in Europe. Companies involved, as well as a number of governments, including the UK, have suggested this is down to a lack of understanding about the benefits GM crops could bring. However, calls for open source genetic modification, which would speed up the process of addressing food security issues, have gone unheeded, leading many to suggest GM researchers are principally interested in lucrative intellectual property rights.  

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