Monsanto: A Beginner’s Guide to the World’s Most Dangerous Corporation

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(J Dennehy) Tomorrow, over 400 protests in 38 nations will join a grassroots effort called March Against Monsanto. But who is Monsanto and why should you know about them?

You may not think you’re familiar with Monsanto, but you probably eat Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) created by them every day. Monsanto created the first GMO in 1985 but only in the past few years has their use become widespread in our food supply. (How are GMOs created?)

The most common way Monsanto uses GMOs is to artificially manipulate a crop so that it can withstand a specific type of all-purpose poison. They sell both the genetically modified seed as well as the poison. The engineering allows the farmer to blanket the crops in pesticides and while the GMO is unaffected everything else is killed. While there are GMOs for a wide variety of crops Monsanto has focused its attention on several strategic markets, for example 93% of soybeans and 86% of corn are now GMO—and these numbers continue to rise.

Monsanto and it’s supporters, claim that their products are not only safe but necessary to feed a world that may run out of food otherwise, but critics contend both points.

Human and Environmental Health

The company website states: “[T]he overwhelming scientific evidence shows there are no significant differences between ‘organic’ and ‘conventional’ crops in terms of taste, nutrition and safety.” The 2010 study that is cited focuses on nutritional content being roughly equal between GMO and natural foods. The logic is that if a GMO orange has roughly the same vitamin C content as a non-GMO orange then there is nothing to worry about. However, the same studyspecifically states that “This review does not address contaminant content (such as herbicide, pesticide and fungicide residues)… or the environmental impacts…”

MonsantoStocks

Meanwhile, researchers have claimed that the GMO giant has thwarted attempts to pursue research that may show ill effects. Other studies have shown links between GMO food and Celiac disease and that GMO corn causes tumors, organ failure, cancer and premature death in rats. Additional research has shown the widespread adoption of Monsanto’s products has also been linked with significant nitrogen run-off which is creating dead zones in the oceans, the rise of “super weeds,” and an alarming mass die off of bees. In the most serious dissension from the official company line yet, in March 2015, the World Health Organization announced that according to it’s own findings the active ingredient in Monsanto pesticides is a “probable carcinogenic.”

(Even more studies.)

World Hunger

The world’s population is growing quickly and there are hundreds of millions of people that go to bed hungry each night. GMO crops are designed to increase yield and while some studies suggest it may not be as significant as once claimed, it is generally accepted that GMOs are successful here. It is an easy leap to assume that because people are hungry the problem is a lack of food, but the reality is a bit more complex. We currently grow 50% more food than we need to feed every man woman and child on earth and food production is already outpacing population growth. Hunger is caused by inequality and poverty rather than scarcity–meaning the problem is not a lack of food but the fact that many people can not afford market prices and it is more profitable to let food waste than make it affordable for everyone.

Why Monsanto?

There are other bio-tech companies profiting from GMOs but Monsanto has been the lightening rod of criticism. Part of that is their own ugly history. Before Monsanto created their first GMO they created other controversial products that have since been proven to have unintended long term health and environmental consequences, such as DDT, PCBs and Agent Orange. They also pour huge amounts of money to defeat any effort to legislate GMO food labeling and have been accused of using tactics pioneered by big tobacco to influence the public’s perception about their products safety.

Solutions

There is a growing global resistance against Monsanto. Farmers and activists have been burning fields of GMO crops, but increasingly activists are pushing for labeling laws that would allow consumers to decide if they want to buy GMO products. Currently 64 nations require GMO labeling and the list continues to grow. But it is still an uphill battle. Monsanto has become particularly entrenched in the United States where is has its headquarters but even there progress is being made. Whole Foods and Chipotle have announced plans to phase out all GMO ingredients. Vermont also became the first state to require GMO labels on food, though Monsanto and others are suing the state and trying to stop the law from taking effect.

These are just the basics. There is an enormous amount of information out there and a growing number of organizations working to create change. Read the links here, share this story, do your own research and get involved. http://govtslaves.info/monsanto-a-beginners-guide-to-the-worlds-mos...