December 11, 2000

A leading Indian research institute in New Delhi, India, has launched a multi-year project to develop a "golden mustard" that will yield cooking oil high in beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A). Working in partnership with Michigan State University (MSU) and Monsanto Company, the not-for-profit Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) said successful development and adoption of the enhanced oil from "golden mustard" has the potential of helping hundreds of thousands of children suffering from vitamin A deficiencies, particularly in northern and eastern India, where mustard oil is commonly used for food preparation and cooking.

"We have pledged to share our knowledge about agriculture to help improve food security and nutrition in the developing world, and are pleased to join in partnership with TERI and Michigan State on this new initiative," Monsanto President and CEO Hendrik Verfaillie said.

Recent estimates reveal that more than 18% of the children in India suffer some level of vitamin A deficiency. The World Health Organization estimates approximately 250 million people suffer significant illnesses, including vision impairment, inability to absorb proteins and nutrients, and reduced immune function because of vitamin A deficiency.

"Biotechnology offers tremendous potential to address several of the health and nutritional problems that India faces today. I welcome this partnership that will contribute toward alleviating the deep-seated problem of vitamin A deficiency, especially among women and children. We recognize that multi-party partnership is necessary to take this technology further," Dr. R. K. Pachauri, director TERI said.

In addition to technical and financial support from Monsanto, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will also fund the effort through a grant to MSU's Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project. MSU will collaborate with TERI and Monsanto in the adoption and transfer of technology to produce the beta-carotene enhanced oilseed mustard plants.

"We are very pleased to be working with TERI, USAID and Monsanto to develop 'golden mustard,' and look forward to collaborating with Indian scientists, regulators, and health and consumer groups to disseminate the technology in a responsible manner," Catherine Ives, director, Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project, MSU.

Monsanto has been working since the mid-1990s to enhance the carotenoid levels of oilseed crops with a focus on the accumulation of beta carotene in the seed of canola (also known as oilseed rape). As a result, researchers have been able to achieve concentrations of beta carotene in oil from crushed canola seed greater than currently available in any other oil or vegetable.

In March 1999, Monsanto announced it would share at no cost this gene transfer technology, and simultaneously joined into a public and private sector partnership with USAID and the Global Vitamin A Alliance. This current mustard project is part of fulfilling the earlier commitment.

TERI's scientists, led by Senior Fellow and Dean of Bioresources and Biotechnology Vibha Dawan, have extensive experience in breeding improved varieties of mustard commonly cultivated in India. The Institute's researchers will work directly with Monsanto scientists to develop high beta-carotene mustard.

In April Monsanto also produced a draft sequence of the rice genome, the first crop genome to be described in significant technical detail. In order to facilitate and encourage basic research to improve rice and other crops, the data is available at no charge to the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP), a ten-member consortium of rice genome sequencing projects around the world, and is currently accessible to registered researchers through the www.rice-research.org web site.

"These actions are all part of Monsanto's pledge to share the company's knowledge in global agricultural research and to facilitate the use of its technologies for the common good. We hope that these collaborations will ultimately help improve food security and protect the environment around the world," Verfaillie said.