Using Molotov cocktails, an unknown attacker targeted the Monsanto research center in Olmeneta, Italy, during the night last week. The protest act aimed against research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) only injured a firefighter who was trying to extinguish the fire caused by the bomb in the seed storage facility, according to Science.
Two of the four explosives thrown did not activate, and graffiti was left on the wall reading ‘Bayer’s criminal marriage. No GMO.’ The German pharmaceutical giant Bayer partnered with the international agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company Monsanto in 2016. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from cameras at the city entrance.
The Monsanto research center has about ten employees and claims that they do not work on GMOs. Center manager Jean-Luc Pellet stated that the staff of the institution is focused on agricultural research and improvements of traditional corn varieties. He also emphasized that fortunately many seeds had already been planted in the field, and the seeds arriving from South America were stored in a fireproof room.
– However, the damage is enormous, around one hundred thousand euros. This rural area is very peaceful, and we do not have a single GMO seed. Monsanto complies with the legislation of the country in which it operates, said Pellet.
>>> How did Monsanto operate, the corporate giant that produces GMO seeds?
Last year, Italy, in accordance with an EU directive that allows each member state to ban or restrict the cultivation of GMOs on its territory, prohibited the cultivation of GMO crops, as did 19 out of 28 member states. Thus, Italy does not allow commercial cultivation of GMOs or experimental cultivation of modified plants in scientific laboratories and research centers.
– At the same time, Italy uses about 10 thousand tons of genetically modified soybean seeds every day, 365 days a year, said Roberto Defez from the National Research Council in Naples, responsible for promoting and ensuring the safety of GM research.
