07.02.2014 • NewsDede WillamsNGOSyngenta

NGOs Challenge Syngenta GMO Pepper Patent

Swiss agrochemicals producer Syngenta is at loggerheads with a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) over a patent for a genetically modified pepper variety.

This week, the 32-NGO coalition of growers, farmers and environmental advocates from 26 countries filed a challenge to Syngenta's patent issued in May 2013 by the European patent office in Munich, Germany and valid in several EU companies.

The company's critics say they doubt that Syngenta's insect-resistant pepper is a real modification and that the company may have simply crossbred a Jamaican wild pepper with a domestic variety. They contend that the Swiss product is only "a cheap copy" of a natural product and charge that Syngenta is privatizing natural resources.

The patent office said it has received challenges to patents for broccoli and tomatoes issued to large agrochemical groups and will review these before tackling the Syngenta issue.

In some EU countries, such as Germany, patents cannot be issued for animals and plants bred conventionally. Syngenta is offering its patented product to other companies under license.

 

Virtual Event

Digitalization in the Chemical Industry
CHEManager Spotlight

Digitalization in the Chemical Industry

Save the Date: October 22, 2025
The event will be promoted to a combined audience of over 100,000 professionals across Europe through the CHEManager and CITplus networks.

Free Virtual Event

Vaccine Manufacturing
Bioprocess Forum

Vaccine Manufacturing

Join global experts and innovators for a two-day virtual event exploring the latest breakthroughs and best practices in vaccine manufacturing. Discover how new technologies and process innovations are shaping the future of vaccine production, safety, and scalability.

most read

Photo
28.07.2025 • NewsChemistry

VCI Welcomes US-EU Customs Deal

The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) welcomes the fact that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and US President Donald Trump have averted the danger of a trade war for the time being.