Monsanto Essay
Monsanto Seeds
Putting small farmers out of business, a history of paying lobbyists to block government regulations on genetically modified organisms, destroying the environment, lacking testing on their products; these are all characteristics of Monsanto’s company. Monsanto is a company that provides the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds (Neuman). Monsanto’s corporation is a danger to our health and environment. “Monsanto Company started off its chemical business in 1997, Monsanto traces its roots to John Francisco Queeny, a purchaser for a wholesale drug house, who formed the Monsanto Chemical Works in St. Louis, Missouri”(Barboza). In the mid-1990s, it became the first to widely market genetically engineered seeds for row crops; shortly after Monsanto become diabolical in the seed industry. A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. “Monsanto has spent over $30 billion in recent years buying numerous U.S. seed companies. As a result, two firms, Monsanto and Pioneer, now control the U.S. seed business. Monsanto specializes in genetically modified seeds -- seeds having particular properties that Monsanto has patented” (Montague). Since the company was created they have been putting small businesses and farmers out of business, because the smaller farmers cannot keep up with the demands for genetically engineered seeds along with the prices, “Agriculture Department figures show that corn seed prices have risen 135 percent since 2001. Soybean prices went up 108 percent over that period” (Neuman). Monsanto has used license agreements with smaller seed companies to gain an unfair advantage over competitors and to block cheaper generic versions of its seeds from eventually entering the market, making them the most powerful seed company on the market today. (Monsanto) Not only has Monsanto tried to eliminate all its
Putting small farmers out of business, a history of paying lobbyists to block government regulations on genetically modified organisms, destroying the environment, lacking testing on their products; these are all characteristics of Monsanto’s company. Monsanto is a company that provides the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds (Neuman). Monsanto’s corporation is a danger to our health and environment. “Monsanto Company started off its chemical business in 1997, Monsanto traces its roots to John Francisco Queeny, a purchaser for a wholesale drug house, who formed the Monsanto Chemical Works in St. Louis, Missouri”(Barboza). In the mid-1990s, it became the first to widely market genetically engineered seeds for row crops; shortly after Monsanto become diabolical in the seed industry. A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. “Monsanto has spent over $30 billion in recent years buying numerous U.S. seed companies. As a result, two firms, Monsanto and Pioneer, now control the U.S. seed business. Monsanto specializes in genetically modified seeds -- seeds having particular properties that Monsanto has patented” (Montague). Since the company was created they have been putting small businesses and farmers out of business, because the smaller farmers cannot keep up with the demands for genetically engineered seeds along with the prices, “Agriculture Department figures show that corn seed prices have risen 135 percent since 2001. Soybean prices went up 108 percent over that period” (Neuman). Monsanto has used license agreements with smaller seed companies to gain an unfair advantage over competitors and to block cheaper generic versions of its seeds from eventually entering the market, making them the most powerful seed company on the market today. (Monsanto) Not only has Monsanto tried to eliminate all its