But DDT is a health safety net to many nations in Africa and Latin America. Mosquito-borne tropical diseases have occurred with a vengeance in recent years, even some that had seemed nearly eradicated, and DDT remains the cheapest and least acutely toxic weapon against mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year 300 million to 500 million people become ill with malaria and between 1.5 million and 2.7 million people die from it. WHO approves spraying DDT inside houses in order to kill mosquitoes. At the Montreal meeting, WHO presented a paper that called for reducing, but not eliminating, use of DDT. However, many environmental groups represented at the meeting advocated phasing out use of DDT by 2007. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) presented a report with examples of alternative methods for fighting malaria. "Our report shows it is possible to completely ban DDT and work to eradicate malaria in ways that protect the environment and human health," says Clifton Curtis, director of the WWF-U.S. Global Toxics Program. Alternatives include eliminating standing water, biological control of mosquitoes, and applying other insecticides. The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) agrees with WHO'S position. "A lot of this is a matter of money," says Frederick C. McEldowney, CMA's director of international issues. The question isn't whether substitute pesticides or sanitary practices could stop malaria, he says. They could. But most alternative measures are more expensive than DDT. Compared with DDT—which is still produced in Mexico, Russia, China, and India—the other 11 POPs present less of an obstacle to an international agreement. Dioxins and furans are not made deliberately. Velsicol Chemical, the last known producer of heptachlor and chlordane, stopped making them last year. Russia, which continues to manufacture PCBs for use in transformers, has promised to halt production by 2005. Argentina is still producing a small amount of mirex. The remaining POPs, it appears, are no longer made. At the Montreal meeting, the participating countries worked on protocols to phase out only these 12 chemicals. But they set up committees to develop criteria for adding more substances to the POPs list and methods to deal with obsolete stocks of banned pesticides. Treaty negotiations are expected to conclude by 2000. Bette Hileman
Challenging Chinese students
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During his trip to China, President Bill Clinton urged students at Peking University to "make it your mission to ensure today's progress does not come at tomorrow's expense. China's remarkable growth in the past two decades has come with a toxic cost—pollutants that foul the water you drink and the air you breathe. The cost is not only environmental, it is also serious in terms of the health consequences to your people and in terms of the drag on economic growth.... This is a huge chal lenge for you, for the American people, and for the future of the world, and it must be addressed at the university level, because political leaders will never be willing to adopt environmental measures if they believe it will lead to large-scale unem ployment or more poverty.'' Science was not specifically addressed by Clinton in his speech at the university, but when asked on a Shanghai radio call-in show what he was planning to do asforas expanding and promoting scientific cooperation be tween the VS. and China, he replied: "I thmk we should do more sdenœ together.''
Monsanto spends more to grow seed business Its merger with American Home Products still pending, Monsanto continues to buy and sell, although it's buying more than it's selling. The company has signed a definitive agreement to purchase CargiU's seed operations in Central and Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa for $1.4 billion. It has also agreed to sell its lawn and garden pesticide business to Scotts, Marysville, Ohio, for $300 million. Minneapolisbased Cargill won't disclose the size of the seed business being sold, but says it has about 2,200 employees at seed research, production, and testing facilities in 24 countries and has sales and distribution operations in 51 countries. The sale doesn't include CargiU's seed operations in the U.S. and Canada or Cargill Agricultural Merchants in the U.K. However, a Cargill official says the company is considering options for these businesses as well. According to Cargill, its seed unit has
strong distribution channels and good products made by traditional techniques, but it lacks the cost-effective access to biotechnology that is the third leg of a successful seed business today. "The biotechnology revolution is rapidly changing the international seed industry, and Monsanto has been a key player in this area," says Ernest S. Micek, CargiU's chairman and chief executive officer. For its part, Monsanto says the CargiU business wiU provide quick international access for its geneticaUy enhanced products. "The potential for our existing biotechnology traits outside North America is roughly double the acreage potential within North America," says President Hendrik A. VerfaiUie. The sale foUows an eariier agreement between Monsanto and CargiU to form a joint venture that wiU develop products improved through biotechnology for the grain processing and animal feed markets (C&EN, May 18, page 6). It also foUows stiU-pending Monsanto acquisitions of the U.S. seed companies DeKalb Genetics and Delta & Pine Land for some $4.2 biUion. The Justice DepartJULY 6, 1998 C&EN 5
