Biotech giant Monsanto says that its unapproved experimental wheat ended up growing at an Oregon field through what most likely was an isolated act of sabotage.
“What happened in this field… is suspicious,” said Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley on Friday, reporting on the ongoing investigation into the scandal.
In late May, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the discovery of bioengineered wheat, which had been made resistant to Roundup, a Monsanto-sold pesticide. The plant was developed by Monsanto between 1998 and 2005, but was never approved and made into a commercial product.
The company has thus far failed to determine how the crop entered the environment, and insisted that all genetically modified seeds were incinerated after testing.
The fact that the ‘Roundup Reade’ wheat was found growing at only one spot of the 80-acre farm instead of being spread across it indicates that contamination of seed supplies is unlikely, Fraley argued. The crop was apparently planted there separately, he said, adding that the farmer was “a victim” in the case.
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