Despite a challenging public climate, Monsanto teams in France and Germany achieved additional planting of YieldGard maize in 2006, allowing more farmers to realize the economic and environmental benefits of agricultural biotechnology. The increased French plantings were achieved as the result of building trust through dialogue with farmers, grain handlers, other downstream stakeholders, seed associations, and government representatives. YieldGard plantings increased in France from 500 hectares in 2005 to 5,000 hectares in 2006 — demonstrating the safety and benefits of biotechnology to farmers, policy-makers, and consumers. Nonetheless, Monsanto continues to face challenges to biotechnology adoption in France and will continue to apply its Pledge principles in its work to bring the benefits of biotechnology to the region.

The German team addressed a public perception that biotech and conventional crops could not coexist. The team designed — as the first essential step toward a successful commercialization process — a unique product stewardship and grain channeling program that respected the businesses of neighboring farmers. “We developed a tool to prove that real coexistence with equal rights for each planting system can be achieved,” noted Ursula Lüttmer-Ouazane, Monsanto’s area lead for Northern Europe. The program raised awareness among stakeholders in the agricultural community and among political decision-makers that good science combined with industry commitment can manage coexistence, thus providing farmers of both biotech and conventional crops with market opportunities.