Stelian Fuia

Stelian Fuia is the Romanian minister of agriculture (since February 2012). According to the Romanian government website, Fuia has had a long career at genetically modified seed and agrochemicals firm Monsanto.

His positions are listed as:

• February 2012 – present – minister of Agriculture and Rural development
• September 2010 – February 2012 - Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, Food Industry and Specific Services of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
• Elected deputy, in 2008, in Călăraşi constituency; Liberal-Democratic Party
• Member of the Parliamentary Group of the Liberal-Democratic Party of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
• 2007-2008 - member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
• 2005–2007 General Manager SCDPMA Fundulea
• 2002-2005 Executive Manager Procera Agrochemicals Romania
• 1999-2002 Commercial Manager – Monsanto Romania Ltd.
• 1996-1999 Business Development Manager for Central Europe and CIS – Monsanto Europe SA, Brussels, Belgia
• 1995–1996 Sales Manager - Monsanto Romania SRL
• 1993-1995 Marketing specialist – AgrEvo GmbH, biroul Romania

Criticism

In a blog entry called "A (former) Monsanto Minister of Agriculture in Romania", Christophe Noisette of Info'GM wrote:

The new Romanian government received on 9 February 2012 a vote of confidence in parliament, paving the way for its official inauguration. But with the new Minister of Agriculture, Stelian Fuia, the question of conflict of interest arises...

He has worked for several biotech and agrochemical companies: from 1993 to 1995 for AgrEvo, from 1995 to 1996 for Monsanto Romania as sales manager, from 1996 to 1999 for Monsanto Europe in Brussels as head of commercial development, from 1999 to 2002 as commercial director of Monsanto Romania, and finally, from 2002 to 2005 for Procera Agrochemicals Romania, a company specializing in pesticides, fertilizers and seeds.

From his CV, freely available on the Internet, we learn that he was a graduate of the University of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Bucharest, and also studied in the United States, where he benefited from courses taught by Monsanto.

Finally, Mr. Stelian Fuia took a position in favor of GMOs. When in Parliament he passed the bill (No. 247/2009) which amended the system of authorizations of GMOs to make it more lax and require less access to environmental information. Another amendment allowed, we reported the association of information on GMOs, Inf'OMG to exclude NGOs consultations on this issue.

A coalition of many environmental organizations has already requested the departure of Stelian Fuia...

Finally, between Monsanto and the Ministry of Agriculture in Romania, there is a long love affair. Indeed, the previous minister, Valeriu Tabara, made ​​no secret of his conflicts of interest. We wrote at the time: "In his last statement on this subject, his remaining in contact with Monsanto even as Minister of Agriculture: 'There is nothing secret or illegal.' It is even said that he worked for Monsanto, as evidenced by his resume downloaded from the site of the Romanian Parliament, 2 June 2006. This CV has since been purged of any reference to Monsanto."

In a country where the "nostalgia" for Roundup Ready soybeans is still raw from the companies and some politicians, this appointment is another sign of a lobby to Brussels for the European Commission's re-authorization of GM soy.