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08-15-2010, 10:55 AM
Monsanto is trying to put an end to commercial organic farming, and put out of business self sustaining farmers who produce their own seed.
Monsanto scientists became the first to genetically modify a plant cell in 1982. Five years later, Monsanto conducted the first field tests of genetically engineered crops.
Monsanto is the world’s leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed; it sells 90% of the US's GE seeds. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as "Roundup".
This company is an example of corporate greed out of control. Genetically altered seeds can be patented, and Monsanto creates crops that are resistant to its herbicide “Roundup”. When Roundup is sprayed on the crops, it kills every weed, but doesn’t touch the genetically altered crop. The wind has blown Monsanto’s seeds into organic farmer’s crops, overtaking the original crops of the organic farmers. They cannot get rid of the new intruding crop, and Monsanto has successfully sued an organic farmer for patent infringements. Once the farmer’s fields have been infested with the genetically altered crop, they have no choice but to buy the seeds and the herbicide from Monsanto, since the genetically altered crop is dominant over natural crops. It has been argued that Monsanto is deliberately infiltrating organic farmer’s crops with their seeds.
Monsanto's development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and bovine growth hormone, as well as its aggressive litigation, political lobbying practices, seed commercialization practices and "strong-arming" of the seed industry have made the company controversial around the world and a primary target of the alter-globalization movement and environmental activists. As a result of its business strategies and licensing agreements, Monsanto came under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department in 2009.
The company's first product was the artificial sweetener saccharin, which it sold to the Coca-Cola Company.
Other major products have included the herbicides 2,4,5-T, DDT, and Agent Orange used primarily during the Vietnam War as a defoliant agent (later proven to be highly carcinogenic to any who come into contact with the solution), the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet), bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone (BST)), and PCBs.
It is headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri.
Monsanto was in today's news. This is good news:
Judge's ruling uproots use of biotechnology beets
Judge revokes government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until further review
Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer, On Saturday August 14, 2010, 10:41 pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge has revoked the government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until regulators complete a more thorough review of how the scientifically engineered crops affect other food.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White Friday means sugar beet growers won't be able to use the modified seeds after harvesting the biotechnology beets already planted on more than 1 million acres spanning 10 states from Michigan to Oregon. All the seed comes from Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Additional planting won't be allowed until the U.S. Department of Agriculture submits an environmental impact statement. That sort of extensive examination can take two or three years.
White declined a request to issue an injunction that would have imposed a permanent ban on the biotech beets, which Monsanto Co. developed to resist its popular weed killer, Roundup. Farmers have embraced the technology as a way to lower their costs on labor, fuel and equipment.
The Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance and Sierra Club have been trying to uproot the biotech beets since filing a 2008 lawsuit.
Andrew Kimbrell, the Center for Food Safety's executive director, hailed Friday's decision as a major victory in the fight against genetically engineered crops and chided the Agriculture Department for approving the genetically engineered seeds without a full environmental review.
read more...http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Judges-ruling-uproots-use-of-apf-3064119096.html?x=0
Monsanto scientists became the first to genetically modify a plant cell in 1982. Five years later, Monsanto conducted the first field tests of genetically engineered crops.
Monsanto is the world’s leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed; it sells 90% of the US's GE seeds. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as "Roundup".
This company is an example of corporate greed out of control. Genetically altered seeds can be patented, and Monsanto creates crops that are resistant to its herbicide “Roundup”. When Roundup is sprayed on the crops, it kills every weed, but doesn’t touch the genetically altered crop. The wind has blown Monsanto’s seeds into organic farmer’s crops, overtaking the original crops of the organic farmers. They cannot get rid of the new intruding crop, and Monsanto has successfully sued an organic farmer for patent infringements. Once the farmer’s fields have been infested with the genetically altered crop, they have no choice but to buy the seeds and the herbicide from Monsanto, since the genetically altered crop is dominant over natural crops. It has been argued that Monsanto is deliberately infiltrating organic farmer’s crops with their seeds.
Monsanto's development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and bovine growth hormone, as well as its aggressive litigation, political lobbying practices, seed commercialization practices and "strong-arming" of the seed industry have made the company controversial around the world and a primary target of the alter-globalization movement and environmental activists. As a result of its business strategies and licensing agreements, Monsanto came under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department in 2009.
The company's first product was the artificial sweetener saccharin, which it sold to the Coca-Cola Company.
Other major products have included the herbicides 2,4,5-T, DDT, and Agent Orange used primarily during the Vietnam War as a defoliant agent (later proven to be highly carcinogenic to any who come into contact with the solution), the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet), bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone (BST)), and PCBs.
It is headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri.
Monsanto was in today's news. This is good news:
Judge's ruling uproots use of biotechnology beets
Judge revokes government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until further review
Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer, On Saturday August 14, 2010, 10:41 pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge has revoked the government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until regulators complete a more thorough review of how the scientifically engineered crops affect other food.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White Friday means sugar beet growers won't be able to use the modified seeds after harvesting the biotechnology beets already planted on more than 1 million acres spanning 10 states from Michigan to Oregon. All the seed comes from Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Additional planting won't be allowed until the U.S. Department of Agriculture submits an environmental impact statement. That sort of extensive examination can take two or three years.
White declined a request to issue an injunction that would have imposed a permanent ban on the biotech beets, which Monsanto Co. developed to resist its popular weed killer, Roundup. Farmers have embraced the technology as a way to lower their costs on labor, fuel and equipment.
The Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance and Sierra Club have been trying to uproot the biotech beets since filing a 2008 lawsuit.
Andrew Kimbrell, the Center for Food Safety's executive director, hailed Friday's decision as a major victory in the fight against genetically engineered crops and chided the Agriculture Department for approving the genetically engineered seeds without a full environmental review.
read more...http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Judges-ruling-uproots-use-of-apf-3064119096.html?x=0