May 2003: "We, a consolidated consumers, organic farmers, food processors of Japan, totaling 42 NGO's and 364,106 individuals as of May 1st, are strongly against GE wheat which not only contain Roundup Ready resistant protein but also antibiotics and virus protein, CaMV, all of them having potential of harming human health and cause irreversible damage to the whole nature which we human are part of.
We will not eat nor buy even a piece of GE wheat nor will allow one bit to step on to the land of Japan. Please stop using GE wheat seeds and stay conventional the variety that we have accepted and enjoyed. If any news that GE wheat is commercially grown or intended to be grown reached us, we will launch a massive rally either to give up wheat and return to our staple rice for any purpose of grain use or to seek elsewhere for proven safe edible wheat."
--Katsumi Yamada, Director of Science, Japan Organic Agriculture Association, on behalf of a coalition of farmers and consumers against GE food in an email to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, May 1, 2003.
February 2001: "Japanese consumers are highly suspicious and skeptical about safety of GM farm products, which may be hazardous to human health and environment. Under the circumstances, flour millers strongly doubt that any bakery, noodle and confectionary products made of genetically engineered wheat or even conventional wheat that many contain genetically engineered wheat will be accepted in the Japanese market." Japan Flour Millers Association position statement.
"Japanese millers state opposition to GM wheat-group," Washington DC, February 22, 2001, Reuters.
September 2001: "We urge you to pass the Bill to restrict genetically modified wheat seed. If the Bill is defeated in your Committee, and your State allows introduction of genetically modified wheat seed, then, wheat from North Dakota would lose its reliability in the Japanese market. And unfortunately, we would have to boycott your wheat. Since StarLink corn was found in our food, we lost confidence in US agriculture commodities. Rejection of this Bill would only lead to further loss of consumers' confidence not only in Japan but in many other importing countries." Mike Iba, executive director
Mike Iba, executive director of the Network for Safe and Secure Food and Environment, Tokyo in a letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee on behalf of 65 Japanese individuals and organizations.
October 2001: Rooster News Network reports that Japan's Food Agency, which buys grain, will not purchase genetically modified wheat. "Japan's negative response·in the wake of the StarLink corn issue, highlights the importance of U.S. industry and government coordination on genetically engineered wheat development, safety assessment, distribution and commercialization," according to the Rooster News report.
"Anti-GMO Sentiments Thrive Overseas," Dale McDonald, October 26, 2001, Rooster News Network.
May 2003: "If GM (genetically modified wheat) comes, consumers will boycott all wheat." Hi Sang Lee, chairman of Korea Flour Mills Industrial Association, which represents all South Korean flour mills.
"Korean miller: 'Consumer is king," Robert Schubert. May 2, 2003. CropChoice News.
May 2003: "We don't openly talk about GM wheat because then the NGOs
(non-governmental organizations) will start protesting, so we talk silently. I think consumers will boycott the whole wheat industry. Millers have no choice, consumers do. If the consumers don't accept GM wheat, then the millers won't. The consumer is king." Dong Jin Chung, senior vice chairman of Korea Flour Mills Industrial Association and president of the Daehan Flour Mills, Co.
"Korean miller: 'Consumer is king," Robert Schubert. May 2, 2003. CropChoice News.
ASIA: "Within the last month two more major customers- Indonesia and Malaysia- have told the (Canadian) wheat board they don't want GM wheat in their imports from Canada, joining others like Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Algeria." (The Western Producer, January 18, 2001)
"On January 5, Algeria, which imports large amounts of durum wheat from the United States, announced that it would not import any genetically modified wheat. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are taking a similar tack with respect to wheat." (Cropchoice News, CropChoice.com, USA, February 2, 2001) Algeria also imports large quantities of wheat from Canada.
"In the Middle East, the more they hear (about GE wheat) the more averse they become." Dawn Forsythe, USWA (Cropchoice News, June 13, 2002)
"If you have just one grain in a thousand which is genetically modified, the consumer is going to refuse it." Egyptian trader (Reuters, February 9, 2002)
February 2001: "We will never be in the market for it [genetically modified wheat]. We have to listen to our customers, and they don't want GM (genetically modified) wheat. If the U.S. goes ahead with this, we'd have to turn to Canada and Kazakhstan to get those supplies." Kjetil Gran Bergsholm, a trader at Stakorn, a Norwegian importer. Norway buys 30,000-40,000 tonnes of wheat each year from the United States, Canada, and Kazakhstan.
"European Buyers Warn U.S. over Gene Wheat Plans," Greg Frost, February 2, 2001, Reuters.
March 2001: "So that you are completely clear on Rank Hovis's policy toward GM wheat. We do not want any level of such grain in our supplies from you. ·. You should treat this issue with the utmost gravity and priority given that the alarm generated by even the perception that spring wheat may contain GM traits, could be enough to jeopardize the entire export programme to the EU." ÷Letter from Julian Watson of Rank Hovis, one of the EU's largest millers to U.S. Wheat Associates. "
Cropchoice News, March 12, 2001.
March 2001: "With a competitive high quality wheat of non-GMO origin (French/German/Canadian) available at a normal price, we are absolutely convinced the European miller will abandon GMO HRS (Hard Red Spring) wheat. GMO wheat for sure will be a market destructor." Jef Smidts, trader at Andre & CIE Antwerp.
Jef Smidts, letter to the North Dakota Interim Agriculture Committee, May 7, 2002.
August 2002: "I am going to ask you not to grow genetically modified wheat until we are able to sell in our market the bread made from the flour made from that wheat. I cannot tell you how to run your business - but if you do grow genetically modified - or enhanced - wheat, we will not be able to buy any of your wheat - neither the GM nor the conventional. The latter because we will not be able to guarantee the integrity of even the conventional to zero content of GM." Peter Jones, a wheat buyer at Rank Hovis. Rank Hovis controls 30% of the milling and baking industries in the United Kingdom.
"European and American Millers Tell U.S. Wheat Associates Board to Go Slow on GM Wheat," August 28, 2002, Associated Press.
February 2002: "It could mean that we would completely stop importing from that region if they could not guarantee that it is not genetically modified. The reality is that for the time being, our customers in Europe don't really want anything genetically modified, and it's difficult to see that changing in the near future. UK millers have regularly pressed Monsanto that for genetically modified crops to have any marketing potential, they have to offer consumers a benefit. Personally, I don't thing Roundup Ready offers a lot to consumers." Alexander Waugh, director-general of NABIM (British and Irish Millers Association).
" European Buyers Warn U.S. Over Gene Wheat Plans," 02/02/01, Reuters.
July 2002: "Wheat and bread are sacred in Europe and many other parts of the world. If farmers and government officials in the US fail to recognize that, they can kiss their markets goodbye." Nicolaas Konijnenkijk, President, AGRO Consulting and Trading (Netherlands).
Letter to the North Dakota Interim Agriculture Committee, July 7, 2002.
February 2001: "·in 2003 GMO spring wheat will be introduced in the US and in 2004 France will stop buying Dark Northern Spring wheat from the US." French wheat miller representative, AGROGENE Seminar
PR Newswire Paris, February 26, 2001.
February 2001: "It's definitely become an issue in the Middle East. People just don't want it (genetically engineered wheat)." David Payne, director of Louis Dreyfus Negoce. Louis Dreyfus Negoce is one of the worlds largest agricultural commodity trading companies.
"GM Concern Could Mar US Wheat Sales to Egypt," February 9,2002 Reuters.
February 2002: "If you have just one grain in a thousand which is genetically modified, the consumer is going to refuse it." ÷Egyptian trader
Reuters, February 9, 2002
June 2002: "Two years ago, when we went to talk to the Philippine flour industry about GM wheat, they didn't know what it was. This year, the first words out of their mouths were 'don't send us GM wheat." Dawn Forsythe, US Wheat Associates Public Affairs Director.
"Farmer wants ND to ensure protection of foundation wheat seed stocks" June 13, 2002 CropChoice News.
February 2001: "On January 5, Algeria, which imports large amounts of durum wheat from the United States [and Canada], announced that it would not import any genetically modified wheat. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are taking a similar tack with respect to wheat."
Cropchoice News,, February 2, 2001
August 2002: "We will not only avoid buying GM wheat, but we will probably be forced to completely avoid importing from those countries/regions where it is known that GM wheat is grown." Antonio Costato, Grandi Molini Italiani CEO, outlining GMI's position if the United States or Canada commercialized GM wheat.
"Italy's biggest miller spurns GM wheat," August 5, 2002, Reuters.
February 2003: "As president of GMI, I do not see any reason to expose the company to the risks implied by accidental contamination with GM wheat," Antonio Costato, Grandi Molini Italiani CEO.
"Top Italian miller to spurn gene-modified wheat," February 2, 2003, Reuters.
November 2001: "The North American Millers Association has publicly expressed its position that crops that do not have wide market approval should not be placed on the market." Ken Ritter, Chair, Canadian Wheat Board.
"CWB Clarifies Position on GM Wheat" November 8,2001, Western Producer.
August 2002: "In every study [of U.S. consumers]... there's still 7 to 10 percent of the people who say I will not buy a product if it contains a genetically modified ingredient. When you come to a company like ours, which is a wheat-based organization, and we run the risk that we will lose 7 to 10 percent of our business if we change a product and it becomes an issue... I don't think that's a risk our corporation would take." Ron Olsen, General Mills vice president.
"European and American Millers Tell U.S. Wheat Associates Board to Go Slow on GM Wheat," August 28, 2002, Associated Press.
February 2003: "Is our industry willing to risk five to 40 percent of our sales of regular business to embrace GM wheat? The answer is no." Len Hefflich, Director of Technical Services, George Weston Bakeries.
"U.S. industry urges slow approach to GM wheat," February 13, 2003, Western Producer.
"We will never be in the market for it. We have to listen to our customers, and they don't want GM wheat." Kjetil Gran Bergsholm, trader at Norwegian importer Stakorn (Greg Frost, Reuters, Feb. 2, 2001)
"The reality is that for the time being, our customers in Europe don't really want anything genetically modified, and it's difficult to see that changing in the near future·.UK millers have regularly pressed Monsanto that for genetically modified crops to have any marketing potential, they have to offer consumers a benefit. Personally, I don't think Roundup Ready offers a lot to consumers." Alexander Waugh, director-general of British and Irish millers' association NABIM (Greg Frost, Reuters, Feb. 2, 2001)
"U.S. Wheat (Associates) was notified earlier in January by Britain's biggest miller, Rank Hovis, Ltd., that it would not accept Îany level' of biotech wheat." (Philip Brasher, Associated Press, Feb. 17, 2001)
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