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France will temporarily ban the growing of\u00a0Monsanto Co. (MON)<\/a>\u2019s genetically modified corn MON810 ahead of guidance by European regulators on the crop\u2019s safety, the agriculture and environment ministries said.<\/p>\n The ban will come into force on March 18 after the European Commission, the European Union\u2019s regulatory arm, told France it didn\u2019t plan immediate measures against the Monsanto corn, the ministries wrote in a joint e-mailed statement today.<\/p>\n France last month asked the EU to suspend approval for MON810, citing recent scientific studies that show growing the corn variety poses \u201cimportant risks\u201d to the environment. The commission told France it has consulted the European Food Safety Authority and doesn\u2019t plan any urgent measure ahead of the opinion, the ministries wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of the proximity of the planting period, the\u00a0Agriculture Ministry<\/a>\u00a0has decided today to take a precautionary measure that means to temporarily prohibit the cultivation of the corn MON810 on the national territory in order to protect the environment,\u201d according to the statement.<\/p>\n France is the European Union\u2019s largest corn grower, data from the bloc show. Last year, French farmers planted corn on 1.55 million hectares (3.8 million acres), producing 15.5 million metric tons of the grain, according to crop office FranceAgriMer.<\/p>\n Monsanto\u2019s MON810 is a so-called Bt corn that includes a genetic modification that makes the plant toxic to insect pests including the European corn borer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe new ban is not justified by scientific evidence,\u201d John Combest, a spokesman for Monsanto, said in a e-mail today. The company does not market MON810 in\u00a0France<\/a>\u00a0because \u201cwe seek planting where we have broad farmer and government support,\u201d Combest said.<\/p>\n To contact the reporter on this story: Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris at\u00a0rruitenberg@bloomberg.net<\/a><\/p>\n To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter atccarpenter2@bloomberg.net<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n slohnute z:\u00a0http:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/2012-03-16\/france-bans-cultivation-of-genetically-modified-monsanto-corn.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" France Bans Growing Of Genetically Modified Monsanto Corn France will temporarily ban the growing of\u00a0Monsanto Co. (MON)\u2019s genetically modified corn MON810 ahead of guidance by European regulators on the crop\u2019s safety, the agriculture and environment ministries said. The ban will come into force on March 18 after the European Commission, the European Union\u2019s regulatory … Continue reading Francuzko, GMO a Monsanto<\/span>