Aventis
Why Aventis?
April 2000

Download the pdf

Contents
Why Aventis?
Farm-scale trials, role in GM, strategy for GM crops, greenwash, dealing with regulators
What Aventis?
Aventis merger, UK operations, corporate structure and commercial activities, Aventis CropScience key products, financial details countries of operations
More Aventis?
GMO crimes, other eco-crimes, activism against Aventis, attitude to activists
Whose Aventis?
Who else and Aventis?GM partnerships, Other partnerships, other contractors, lobbying, PR, lawyers,
Where Aventis?
GM-related work, Aventis -owned sites, farm trial sites
Who Aventis?
Senior staff working on GM, PR slimers, directors

Note: This briefing was compiled in early 2000. Aventis CropScience were acquired by Bayer AG in October 2001 (see newsletter article). Aventis are no longer involved in GM crops but still exist as a purely pharmaceutical company. The Aventis briefing will soon be replaced by a corporate profile on Bayer as well as a briefing on Bayer and GM Crops.

Despite its low profile, Aventis is dangerous. Formed only last December by the merger of Germany’s Hoechst and Rhone-Poulenc of France, it is the company pushing hardest for GM crops to be grown on a large scale in Britain. It has more field trials of GM crops than any other company and has filed the first ever application for their commercial growing in this country. If successful, Aventis will be able to grow its GM herbicide resistant maize on a mass commercial scale in the UK once the government’s farm-scale trials programme is complete in 2002/3.

Aventis supplies both the oil seed rape and forage maize for these trials. As this briefing goes to print, 31 farm-scale trial sites have already been announced by government ministers. If Aventis gets its way, at least 36 more will be announced in early April 2000.

Aventis is a massive transnational corporation with annual sales of 18 billion euro (approx £11bn) and around 90,000 employees in 120 countries worldwide. It is also the world's newest and largest life sciences company, having only come into existence on December 15 1999. Aventis CropScience, the division which produces its GM crops and agrochemicals, was formed by the combination of AgrEvo (formerly 60% owned by Hoechst) and Rhone-Poulenc Agro.

Aventis develops, markets and sells GM seeds, mostly genetically engineered to be resistant to its own herbicides. It also owns patents, which give it exclusive rights to use particular knowledge, genetic material and processes.

The engineered herbicide tolerance is called LibertyLink, and uses much the same approach as Monsanto's infamous Roundup Ready. Aventis also takes a similarly aggressive attitude to protestors, relying on injunctions and SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public particpation) to silence dissent.

"In the future, only a few companies will be able to shape the developments in this industry - Aventis CropScience… will be one of them" - Jurgen Dormann, Aventis CEO.

Farm scale trials
"The genetically modified crop farm-scale evaluations are the Government funded research to investigate whether there are differences in the diversity and abundance of wildlife associated with the management of genetically modified herbicide tolerant oil seed rape and maize compared with the management of equivalent non-GM crops."

DETR - Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.[1]

The trials have been dismissed as a "scientific farce" by Friends of the Earth, because they "amount to 'creeping commercialisation' and [because] they themselves pose an environmental threat".[2] GM oilseed rape is particularly dangerous because of its ability to cross-pollinate over distances of up to 2.5 km, and with wild members of the brassica family[3], potentially creating herbicide resistant weeds. GM maize can cross-pollinate with non-GM maize, posing a particular risk to organic farmers, whose crops could lose their organic status.

Oilseed rape is the crop to which commercial bee hives are most commonly moved [4] and is so loved by bees that they will travel unusually long distances get its sticky pollen. Bees are unable to discern between GM and non-GM pollen, potentially threatening the health of both bees and people who eat honey [5]. GM crops also have the potential to contaminate other organisms through horizontal gene transfer to soil bacteria. The effects of this on soil ecosystems are unknown and impossible to predict. One possible disturbing consequence of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria is the potential for antibiotic resistance and other traits to migrate from one type of bacterium to another. [6]

EC marketing approval for LibertyLink oilseed rape was granted in June 1997, but was blocked by the French government because of concerns about cross-pollination with wild relatives[7].

Aventis was the first company involved in the government's farm-scale trials. According to spokesperson Des D'Souza this is "because our crops are closest to commercialisation".
Aventis is involved in the trials, not because it is interested in establishing scientific truths, but because they can be used to bring its GM crops to market quicker.

In 1999 herbicide-resistant crops of oilseed rape [8] and fodder maize [9], all Aventis crops, were planted at seven sites across the UK. The first year of farm-scale trials (1999) was to establish a methodology for the experiments. Now the trials begin in earnest, and whilst at the time of writing only 31 sites (17 of them Aventis crops) have been announced, the total for 2000 will probably rise to 67. [10]

The trials are funded by the taxpayer to the tune of £3.3 million over four years [11] and are in addition to the 140 smaller test-sites already polluting the countryside.
Role in GM
Aventis is the largest company in the world involved in crop protection and crop production (agrochemicals and seeds, including GM seeds),[12] and in the last year covered a larger area of the UK with GM crops than any other company [13].

In spite of massive public opposition to the open release of GM crops into the environment and a business-government agreement not to plant GM crops commercially before the farm-scale trials are complete, Aventis has sneakily filed an application for the inclusion of its T25 fodder maize on the National Seed List. This is the first time a GM crop variety has been put forward for listing in the UK, the final step to commercialisation [14]. The maize is intended for cattle feed, yet no studies into the impact on animal and human health have been undertaken.
Strategy for GM crops
Aventis aims to use a combination of size, financial brute force and greenwash to force the widespread take-up of GM crops.

Herbicide tolerance gives the companies the double reward of a tighter grip on the food market, combined with increased profits from herbicide sales to farmers [17].

Aventis is focusing on staple crops, such as soya, maize and oilseed rape, and is hoping to add rice and cotton to the list. GM LibertyLink rice may be grown commercially as early as 2000 in the Americas [18]. In the near future most Aventis GM crops will be herbicide tolerant crops.

Aventis is "also investing in innovative solutions designed to enhance the quality of the foodstuffs produced, an aspect gaining in importance".[19] By this Aventis means GM 'functional foods', crops with added vitamins, minerals, pharmaceuticals or other supposed consumer benefits. Although some way from commercialisation, these products are intended to gain public acceptance of GM, which has so far been elusive due to its ‘benefits’ only being realised at the producer end of the supply chain. For more information on functional foods see the separate Corporate Watch briefing (published April 2000).

The application could have been blocked by the Welsh Assembly, as all the devolved parts of the UK have to agree to a seed before it is put on to the National List of permissible crops [15]. However, the Welsh Agriculture Secretary, Christine Gwyther has ignored a recommendation from the Assembly's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and supported inclusion of GM maize on the National Seed List. Friends of the Earth has said it will "pursue every possible avenue" to overturn her decision. [16]
Greenwash
Increasingly the GM industry is resorting to the tired 'GM will feed the world's starving' line to convince the public that the rich 'green lobby' in the Northern hemisphere is selfishly denying starving people access to technologically-enhanced food in the South. This argument fails to address the real reasons for poverty and starvation such as gross inequalities in the distribution of food and wealth as well as the exploitation of people and the environment by profit-oriented corporations (such as Aventis). Aventis is pushing this line as much as any of the other proponents of GM technology.

In a speech to shareholders on 26 October 1999, Jurgen Dormann, Aventis CEO, said that: "Rapid population growth, increasing life expectancy, and environmental protection requirements are increasing the need for more and improved products. This is the only way to achieve sustainable development that represents economic, social and ecological progress… In recent years, we have invested heavily in green biotechnology [sic]…"[20] It is the company's economic progress, not social and ecological progress, that really lies at the heart of Aventis' involvement in GM crops. Aventis hopes to profit from an ever-growing slice of the world food market. Jurgen the humanitarian again: "In the future, only a few companies will be able to shape the developments in this industry - Aventis CropScience… will be one of them." [21]

In addition to the heavy investment in ‘green biotechnology’ mentioned above, Aventis has also been investing substantial amounts in greenwash. Speaking about the "Life Counts" project on Feb 25 2000, Jurgen informed his audience that: "One of the foremost issues of tomorrow is: how can we make economic and social progress while ensuring the lasting protection of the natural environment?" [22] Or: how can Aventis convince the public that GM crops are good for people and the environment so they can profit from their unwanted introduction?

The Life Counts project is a book produced by Aventis that demonstrates their heartfelt commitment to protecting biodiversity. "For every copy of the book that is sold in the industrialized countries, Aventis will donate one to schools, libraries, or institutes in Africa, Asia or Latin America," - all key growing regions and markets for GM crops.

Misinformation for the book came from the "Global Biodiversity 2000" Report prepared by the World Conservation Monitoring Center, an organisation established by The World Conservation Union, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It claims to be an independent organisation, and to have become the planet's principal source of global biodiversity information. Sponsors include eminent environmental ambassadors such as BP Amoco, British Airways, the EU, Rio Tinto and Unilever [23]. This particular report was unsurprisingly promoted by Aventis [22].

Information Office,
World Conservation Monitoring Center, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK.

Information enquiries
Tel: +44 (0)1223 277722 Main switchboard Tel: +44 (0)1223 277314 Fax: +44 (0)1223 277136 Email: info@wcmc.org.uk http:// www.wcmc.org.uk /cis/index.html

Chief Executive: Dr Mark CollinsAventis is also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This is another industry body, which "aims to develop closer co-operation between business, government and all other organizations concerned with the environment and sustainable development." Its has 125 corporate members, including GM villains Monsanto, Novartis and DuPont. Other members include BP Amoco, Shell International, Glaxo Wellcome, General Motors, ICI, Nestle, and Rio Tinto [24].

The WBCSD was formed through a merger of the Business Council on Sustainable Development (BCSD) and the World Industry Council for the Environment (a branch of the International Chamber of Commerce). The BCSD provided the business perspective at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. It had unparalleled access to the conference Secretariat and extraordinary influence in weakening key agreements, including the Biodiversity and Climate conventions and Agenda 21.

In 1997 the WBCSD was awarded a Greenwash award by Corporate Watch US, which noted that while it tried to "portray itself as the savior of the world's environment and the force that will eliminate poverty", its members continued to destroy the environment and commit abhorent human rights abuses. [25].

Here in the UK, Aventis has joined forces with other agri-biotech companies to launch CropGen, which will also be providing information for the general public. According to its mission statement: “CropGen's mission is to make the case for GM crops by helping to achieve a greater measure of realism and better balance in the UK public debate about crop biotechnology.''[26]
Dealing with regulators
Aventis is making a major effort to influence the development of EU regulatory mechanisms to bring them in line with the WTO and 'free trade'. At a presentation in June 1998, AgrEvo's CEO Dr Gerhard Prante, now co-chairman of Aventis Agriculture,[29] complained to 100 high-level politicians and government officials that Europe's approval process for GMOs was too onerous and amounted to a barrier to trade. He urged them to seize the chance to "harmonise" regulatory frameworks internationally (presumably down to the US standard), before differences had time to solidify [30].

There was also some embarrassment in the UK government last August when Bob May and Alan Dewar of the Institute of Arable Crops Research, both already in the pay of AgrEvo, were appointed to 'independently' supervise AgrEvo's farm-scale trials [31].

A parliamentary question in March 1999 revealed that AgrEvo had had four meetings with civil servants on pesticides regulation, three meetings on research and an undisclosed number on plant breeding in the previous six months [32].

Aventis had hoped that the failed WTO negotiations last December would establish a common approach (in particular between North America and Europe) for the trade of GMOs . "Implementation of a regulatory framework and administrative procedures to ensure the protection of intellectual properties, are a benefit to developing countries as well, as they are a vital prerequisite for economic development through innovation." [33]

However, the UNDP’s 1999 Human Development Report showed that industrialised countries hold 97% of all patents worldwide, often on plants taken from economically poor but biodiversity rich countries in the South. AgrEvo developed its best-selling herbicide, Basta, from a soil bacterium derived from the Cameroon. As the Rural Advancement Foundation International states: “Hoechst (AgrEvo's parent company before the formation of Aventis) has not offered any compensation to the donor country.” [34]

There are many other examples of companies from the North stealing plants from the South and patenting their economically valuable traits. For more information on biopiracy see Christian Aid's report 'Selling Suicide' [35]

Back l Next page