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¸½04thepharmageddonriddlethepharmageddonriddleDidMonsantojustwantmoreprofits,ordiditwanttosavetheworld?april10,20001.Eachfall,theenvironmentalgroupGreenpeaceholdsaconference,inanefforttomakeitsprioritiesascleartocorporateexecutivesandinvestorsastheyaretoitstwoandahalfmillionmembers.Thegathering,ataLondonhotel,isachanceforoneoftheworld'smostdeterminedenvironmentalorganizationstoremindskepticsaboutitsgoals,andtoletpeopleknowwhatitiswillingtodotoachievethem.Foritslatestevent,inOctober,theorganizershadscheduledappearancesbythetwoprincipalantagonistsinoneofthemostunsettlingissuesofourage:theproductionanduseofgeneticallymodifiedfoods.Nocontroversy--nuclearpower,globalwarming,oreventheeeriepossibilityofcloninghumanbeings--occupiesalargerspaceinthatdisturbingarenawherescience,socialvalues,andcommercecollide.LordPeterMelchett,anorganicfarmerandaformerLabourminister,whohasledGreenpeace'seffortstostoptheuseofbiotechnologyinagriculture,wasenlistedtodebateRobertB.Shapiro,thechairmanandC.E.O.oftheinternationalconglomerateMonsanto,whoisthetechnology'schiefevangelist.Itwasaperfectmomentforsuchaconversation:geneticallymodifiedfoods,withfewlabelstoidentifythem,havebecomethemostwidelyadoptedproductsinmodernfarminghistory.Adecadeago,notransgeniccropswerecommerciallyavailableanywhereonearth;in1995,fourmillionacreshadbeenplanted;by1999,thatnumberhadgrowntoahundredmillion.IntheUnitedStates,halfoftheenormoussoybeancropandmorethanathirdofthecornaretheproductsofbiotechnology.Shapirobelievesthatalteringtheseedsofsoybeans,beets,andcottontoresistherbicidesisthebarestbeginningofwhatheandmanyothersconsiderarevolutioninagriculture,food,and,ultimately,humanhealth.Thisnewscience,hesays,istheprincipalreasonthattherenowexistsanopportunitytocreateagenuinescienceofnutrition,somethingthathasneverexistedinhumanhistory.But,whereMonsantoseesunlimitedpromise,Greenpeacehasfoundlittlemorethanprofitmotiveandperil.InEurope,andparticularlyintheUnitedKingdom,oppositiontoagriculturalbiotechnologyhasbecomealmostareligion--oneendorsedvigorouslybyPrinceCharles.IhappentobelievethatthiskindofgeneticmodificationtakesmankindintorealmsthatbelongtoGod,andtoGodalone,hehassaid.LordMelchett,forhispart,willstandtrialthisweekformowingdownanexperimentalgovernmentcropofgeneticallymodifiedmaize,inNorfolk,notfarfromhisestate.Justafewdaysbeforetheconference,Shapirocalledtosaythathecouldn'tmakeit.Instead,hisimagewasbeamedfromAmericaontoavideoscreen.Shapiroappearedgrim,defensive,anddefeated.Aftermorethanayearofprotests,EuropewasshuttingMonsantooutofitsmarkets.So,forthemostpart,wasBrazil.TwoofMonsanto'sbiggestcompetitors--theSwisspharmaceuticalgiantNovartisandtheBritishdrug-makerAstraZeneca--wereabouttocombinetheiragriculturaldivisionsintoonebusinessandsellit,essentiallyabandoningtheirinvolvementincropbiotechnology.Japanesecompanieshaddecidedtostopusinggeneticallyalteredproducts,andMexico'slargesttortilla-makerhadendeditsrelianceonmodifiedcorn.UnderpressurefromGreenpeace,NovartisstoppedusinggenemodifiedsoyandcorninitsGerberbrandofbabyfood.Heinzannounceditwoulddothesame.Bylastfall,thetensioninEuropehadspreadtoAmerica.Ahighlypublicized--thoughverypreliminary--reportfromaresearcheratCornellsuggestedthattheeggsofmonarchbutterflies(thegreatflutteringpandasoftheinsectworld)mightnotsurviveonthepollenofmodifiedcorn.AmericanfarmersbegantofearthatEuropeanportswouldsendtheirtankersfullofgrainbacktosea,andlatelastsummertheworld'smostprominentmiller--ArcherDanielsMidland--instructeditsconfusedanddisheartenedclientstosegregatemodifiedcropsfromallothersandhaulthemtomarketinseparatecontainers.InNovember,theFoodandDrugAdministrationwassettobeginitsfirstfullseriesofhearingsontheuseandsafetyofgeneticallyalteredfoods.Shapiro'sfaithinthetechnologyremainedabsolute,though.HetoldtheGreenpeaceaudiencethatwithoutbiotechnologyfarmerswouldnevermeettheworld'srapidlygrowingdemandforfood.Atthesametime,Shapirowassurprisinglycontrite,soundinglikeoneofthoseChineseleaderswhoduringtheCulturalRevolutionweremadetowalkthroughthestreetsinaduncecap.Ourconfidenceinthistechnologyandourenthusiasmforithas,Ithink,widelybeenseen,andunderstandablyso,ascondescensionorindeedarrogance,''hesaid.Becausewethoughtitwasourjobtopersuade,toooftenweforgottolisten.LordMelchettdidn'tknowhowtorespond,sohedeliveredhispreparedremarks.HesaidthatGreenpeacewasreadytojoinarmswithMonsantoifonlythecorporationwouldrenounceitsuseofagriculturalbiotechnologyandembraceorganicfarmingastheprincipalsolutiontotheworld'scropneeds.ItwasabitlikeofferingmoralsupporttoGeneralMotors,ifonlytheautomobile-makerwouldabandontheinternal-combustionengineinfavorofthebicycle.Atonepoint,Shapirowasaskedifhefeltlikeabullyimposingunwantedfoodsupontheworld.Well,ifI'mabully,''hereplieddryly,Icertainlydon'tfeelmyselftobesuccessfulatit.2.TheMonsantoCompany,whichwasfoundedinSt.Louisin1901,becameoneoftheworld'smostsuccessfulchemicalconcerns,startingoutwithproductslikesaccharin,aspirin,acrylic,andfertilizers,andeventuallysellingPCBs,plastics,dioxin,andthedefoliantAgentOrange.WhenR