Bob Shapiro, the chairman of Monsanto, last week held out an olive branch to
his critics. Speaking by satellite link to a meeting in London organised by
Greenpeace, which has attacked the company鈥檚 stance on genetically modified
crops, Shapiro said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e irritated and antagonised more people than we鈥檝e
persuaded, and our confidence and enthusiasm for this technology has been seen
as condescension or arrogance.鈥�
In response, Peter Melchett, Greenpeace UK鈥檚 executive director, said that if
Monsanto abandons pesticides, GM crops and patents on living things, Greenpeace
could work with it to produce 鈥渢he world鈥檚 first genuine life sciences company
based on ecological, organic and holistic principles鈥�.