BASF and Monsanto to Collaborate on Plant Biotechnology R&D and Commercialization
21 March 2007
BASF and Monsanto Company announced a long-term joint research and development (R&D) and commercialization collaboration in plant biotechnology that will focus on the development of high yielding crops and crops that are more tolerant to adverse environmental conditions such as drought. The collaboration is effective immediately.
Over the life of the collaboration, the two companies will dedicate a joint budget of potentially US$1.5 billion (€1.21 billion) to fund a dedicated pipeline of yield and stress tolerance traits for corn, soybeans, cotton and canola.
The joint pipeline will include the companies’ existing and planned yield and stress tolerance programs and be comprised of projects generated by independent plant biotechnology discovery and research from each company. The first product developed as part of this collaboration is expected to be commercialized in the first half of the next decade.
Current trends driving agricultural research are per-acre productivity, water use and nitrogen use in the context of rapidly increasing demands to supply biofuel requirements, a growing concern over water supply (agriculture consumes 75% of the world’s fresh water) and the rising costs of nitrogen-based fertilizers.
Or, as the companies put it during the presentation of their alliance, while the first decade of agricultural biotech focused on weeds and bugs, the coming decade will be focused on yield.
Under this collaboration:
The companies will establish and collaboratively manage a dedicated pipeline that will focus on the development of crops with higher yields and crops that lead to consistent yields under adverse environmental conditions, such as drought.
Each company will additionally maintain independent trait discovery programs.
From the various programs, each company will nominate specific candidate genes and the most promising candidates will be advanced for accelerated joint development and for commercialization in the Monsanto pipeline.
The two companies expect to generate a greater number of viable research projects than they could have done on their own, accelerate the development of new products, and bring a greater number of traits to the market at a faster speed.
The nominated projects will be jointly funded at a 50-50 cost sharing through each phase of development as the candidate gene works its way toward commercial status.
Products that emerge from the joint development will be commercialized by Monsanto. The companies have agreed to share profits associated with commercialized products, with Monsanto receiving 60% of net profits and BASF receiving 40% of net profits.
Monsanto decided to collaborate with BASF because the company is well positioned to provide traits as a series of successive upgrades within a particular crop. For BASF, Monsanto’s track record of commercializing traits and breeding desirable germplasm ensures that BASF’s innovations quickly reach the widest base of farmers.
In addition to the new collaboration, the companies also announced that they have entered into a separate development and commercialization collaboration to research methods to control the soybean cyst nematode, a parasitic worm that can limit and destroy yields for soybean farmers.
Both collaborations will be performed by Monsanto and BASF Plant Science, the plant biotechnology company of BASF.
Resources:
I think it is likely that one of these crops will fail over a massive area due to disease, drought or unaffordable fertiliser. More emphasis should be given to woody weeds and timber waste such as sawdust. These raw materials are less likely to undergo drastic fluctuations from year to year.
Posted by: Aussie | 21 March 2007 at 01:46 PM
Now this is interesting... The monoculture outfit Monsanto is certainly up to no good. They have a fitting partner though. As a fuel crop there may be little resistance to the use of the Terminator gene.
"Monsanto Vows Not To Develop 'Terminator' Gene"
Emily Kaiser
Reuters
October 4, 1999
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Monsanto Co. (NYSE:MCT - news), whose genetically modified seeds have raised environmental and health concerns among some European consumers, said Monday it would not commercialize the controversial "terminator" gene technology which sterilizes seeds.
In an October 4 letter to the Rockefeller Foundation, obtained by Reuters, Monsanto Chairman Robert Shapiro said the company decided not to develop the gene after seeking comment from the Rockefeller Foundation and other groups.
The technology, which Monsanto said was still several years away from any possible commercial production, prevents plants from producing fertile seeds, forcing farmers to buy more seed rather than using seed from the previous year's crop. Critics contend the gene hurts farmers in developing countries who can't afford to buy new seeds each year.
"I am writing to let you know that we are making a public commitment not to commercialize sterile seed technologies, such as the one dubbed 'Terminator,'" Shapiro said in the letter to Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Gordon Conway. "We are doing this based on input from you and a wide range of other experts and stakeholders, including our very important grower constituency."
The following is from "http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/PHARMACEUTICAL_BUSINESS/history_of_the_pharmaceutical_industry.htm"
The U.S. government’s investigation of all the factors leading to the Second World War in 1946 came to the conclusion that without IG Farben the Second World War would simply not have been possible. We have to come to grips with the fact that it was not the psychopath, Adolph Hitler, or bad genes of the German people that brought about the Second World War. Economic greed by companies like Bayer, BASF and Hoechst was the key factor in bringing about the Holocaust.
Posted by: John Schreiber | 22 March 2007 at 03:10 AM
Paranoid arnt we? Id expect these companies simply are trying to keep ahead of changes global warming will bring.
As for ww2 when someone with alot of guns tells you to do something you agree wholeheartedly specialy if you agree with them anyway.
Posted by: wintermane | 22 March 2007 at 09:19 AM
Nope, not the least bit paranoid. Just priming the pump.
How do we know global warming is real? Because there is over $4 trillion just waiting to be invested. All the big players have taken positions. It is either real, or if money is to be made, we will actually solve the problem.
Personally, I hate to see resources wasted, and want the US to be energy independent, so count me in.
Posted by: John Schreiber | 22 March 2007 at 01:32 PM
Actauly you dont need to belive humans are causing climate change to know that the climate is changing. In fact its just the opposite. If you belive its more natural then man made then you expect things will go to high bleep. As a result you want to become as independant as possible and as ruch as possible. Something you can manage if you sell global warming and profit from yutzes who will then be trapped when he climate goes to heck anyway.
The us can profit massively off global warming now that the initial expesnse has been slapped on others. We can come in and cheaply gobble up what works for us as far as our needs and what makes us money and avoid what doesnt.
And as long as we act like we think it will come out fine all the little people in little soon to be underwater nations wont move around messing up the world economy. Least not until we no longer need to care.
Posted by: wintermane | 22 March 2007 at 02:48 PM
What you never thought it was interesting they timed the cnversion to global warming fighters like they did?
Uoi clearlu are not paianoid enough.
Posted by: wintermane | 23 March 2007 at 11:43 AM
There are DME developments in China today!
We see great potential for DME as a clean alternative fuel . The present diesel oil is a major source of air pollution from diesel engine of trucks and busses in large city like Tokyo. The potential market of diesel oil substitute is larger than LPG. DME is one of ideal fuel for diesel engine. DME vehicles were demonstratively manufactured in Japan, China and Korea and their driving test already started. Practical durability fleet test of a DME truck is under going in Japan.
We are pleased to organise a conference on China taking the lead in the DME market in production from coal and Japan and Korea activities.
If you would like to know more on COAL to Syngas to DME developments, join us at upcoming North Asia DME / Methanol conference in Beijing, 27-28 June 2007, St Regis Hotel. The conference covers key areas which include:
DME productivity can be much higher especially if
country energy policies makes an effort comparable to
that invested in increasing supply.
By:
National Development Reform Commission NDRC
Ministry of Energy for Mongolia
Production of DME/ Methanol through biomass
gasification could potentially be commercialized
By:
Shandong University completed Pilot plant in Jinan and
will be sharing their experience.
Advances in conversion technologies are readily
available and offer exciting potential of DME as a
chemical feedstock
By: Kogas, Lurgi and Haldor Topsoe
Available project finance supports the investments
that DME/ Methanol can play a large energy supply role
By: International Finance Corporation
For more information: www.iceorganiser.com
Posted by: Cheryl Ho | 22 May 2007 at 09:43 PM