Biogemma:
More GM Fields Are Destroyed In France 

Yahoo News 17jul03

French biotechnology firm Biogemma has threatened to move its experiments in genetically modified organisms outside of France, possible to the United States, following a new wave of GM field destruction.

One of the company's GM maize fields in southwest France was ransacked overnight, just after President Jacques Chirac agreed to cut a jail term handed to French radical Jose Bové for earlier GM attacks.

"Either we can work in decent conditions or we will have to move our activities abroad, notably to the United States where we already have experiments taking place," says Biogemma chief executive Michel Debrand.

Monsanto has said that attackers also damaged one of its GM maize fields in Montech, France.

"In 2002, we did not have any attacks because there were threats of sanctions and lawsuits with severe jail sentences. But these (sentences) were not upheld and now the attacks have started again," Debrand says. "Let's stop presenting the fight against GM crops as legitimate - it is now an issue of vandalism."

France grows experimental crops on around 100 sites, all approved by the farm ministry.