by Robert Wilkinson
I found more than a little bit about everyone’s favorite global villain, Monsanto. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, read on.
Monsanto was started by the guy who was on a quest to produce saccharin for Coca Cola so the US didn’t have to buy saccharin from the Germans. Hey, a drink with saccharin and cocaine must have really kept those folks going!
So you figure the karma on this company is entirely wrapped up in a product that caused cancer, sweetening cocaine delivery drinks. They then went on to manufacture some of the deadliest substances in history, including Agent Orange and DDT. I found a great link to a one stop shop site that goes into just how dark this company is.
Monsanto’s Dark History: 1901-2011 with links to various documentaries that cover all kinds of mischief, malfeasance, and just plain wrong headedness on the part of this company. It is said to have been founded 30 Nov. 1901 in St. Louis, MO for any astrologers out there who may be interested.
In a recent and related development, we find that “Monsanto shares fall as South Korea joins pause in wheat imports.” It seem that along with Japan, South Korea “is suspending imports of US wheat after an unapproved strain of genetically modified wheat was discovered ...”
We find in the article that Monsanto never developed that wheat strain for commercial uses, exactly because wheat exporters didn’t want the blowback from other nations who, ahem, don’t want nor need GMO foods in their country. So really they KNOW what they’re doing, and are simply trying to push through an agenda so they own ALL the seeds in the US and therefore can control who grows what food, how, and when. And they're pushing GMOs in South America.
From the story at the Washington Post:
“This is an embarrassment for Monsanto, not as much with the public as it is with food companies,” said Gene Grabowski … Grabowski, a former senior executive at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, said cereal and other food product firms selling in Japan or Europe haven’t wanted to go to the expense of making sure their wheat sources were free of genetic engineering.“I was in board meetings where I remember food company CEOs who were very concerned about the idea that Monsanto was pushing for approval for biotech wheat,” he said. “They didn’t want it because they already had their hands full dealing with repercussions of biotech corn and soy.”
But Monsanto, which is still testing strains of gene-altered wheat in Hawaii and North Dakota, relies heavily on genetically modified (GM) seeds that make up anywhere from 80 percent to more than 90 percent of U.S. corn, soybean and cotton crops.
“GM technology is extremely important for Monsanto,” said Frank Mitsch, an analyst with Wells Fargo. “Fully three-quarters of company profits are coming from those three crops driven in large part by the GM technology.”
In addition to their widespread adoption in the United States, genetically modified corn and soy seeds are spreading in Latin America, especially in Brazil and Argentina, Mitsch said.
This isn’t the first time that contaminated seeds have gotten loose into the food supply, and of course the “debate” rages on about just how safe or unsafe GMOs are. I thought this piece from the article was very revealing about just how much our government is in Monsanto’s pocket:
In the case of the Oregon wheat, the Agriculture Department said that “this wheat variety does not pose a food safety concern.” It cited a “consultation” in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration. But the FDA relied on information provided by Monsanto without conducting its own study. The FDA did not ask further questions, which the Agriculture Department said meant “that this variety is as safe as non-GE wheat currently on the market.”
Sure it is. A “consultation” that “relied on information provided by Monsanto without conducting its own study.” And no follow-up questions. Sounds thorough to me. Not.
GMOs could very well be the issue that joins our world together to stop the corporatists from monetizing EVERYTHING essential to human life on Earth. We do not need a company to own the rights to seeds, to the seeds those plants produce, and have the right to insist farmers rip up their fields when GMO pollens blow through the air and contaminate non-GMO strains.
We should be expanding the food supply, not restricting it. Otherwise eventually we’ll have only those strains approved by a government bought and sold by Monsanto.
Here are some more articles about the pushback against Monsanto:
Speaking of the Oregon wheat fiasco, from Reuters: Mystery Deepens on how genetically modified US wheat landed in the field
From Truthout, Lobbying and GMO Giant Monsanto Buckles in Europe
From TPM, Kansas Farmer Sues Monsanto After Discovering Unapproved GM Wheat in Field
And the beat goes on and on and on....
© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson
Saving our seeds as independent home gardeners may just save our lives. I love and respect the small plot of Gaia that I inhabit. I plant with the moon, I research any seeds that I purchase. I harvest. I share. I save the seeds of the future. I revolt peacefully one seed and spade full of earth at a time. Namaste.
Posted by: Linda Smith | June 13, 2013 at 09:35 PM
Hi all - just got this: GMO and Monsanto: Glyphosate Weed Killer Found in Human Urine across Europe
Posted by: Robert | June 14, 2013 at 06:13 AM
ARGH! The utter arrogance of Monsanto and their dark lords of GMO's is the ultimate crime against Nature. I agree with Linda. It is really up to us, as renegade home gardeners, to uphold and honor the ritual of growing our own food. Not being dependent on the corporate megalomaniacs for our food supply is crucial to our health and the health of Gaia.
Thanks for this posting, Robert.
Posted by: Elah | June 14, 2013 at 07:29 AM
Great article, Robert. I just read about how we need to be careful about purchasing soybean products because of how much GMO is out there. Tofu and soy milk are good sources of calcium, but not if they are tainted by GMO.
Posted by: Vince | June 14, 2013 at 08:30 AM
Are GMOs responsible for the high gluten in wheat that is making it indigestible? Humans are not evolving fast enough to handle what's being fed to us. Not to mention the more sensitive wild creatures in our animal family.
Posted by: caliban | June 14, 2013 at 09:02 AM
Oh dear, as if the butterfly population hasn't been hit hard enough by the natural disasters destroying habitat. Prairie planting is rising in popularity in my locale. I was hoping that's where the butterflies have gone: to the bigger prairie plantings. I have to look to see them now. Another summer project: check with local prairie growers and with a nature center that monitors butterfly populations. I was not aware of herbicide homicide in the insect population. We have a serious invasive plant species, phragmites, in the great lakes region that required large area aerial spraying to delete it so wildlife habitat can be restored. And the local factory farmers hire a plane to do aerial herbicide spraying on their farm fields. The plane flies very close to my yard. And now glycophosphate producing plants . . . yikes!
Kudos to information dissemination and grass roots action in individual choice. is
Posted by: caliban | June 15, 2013 at 04:42 AM
Hi all: At least one branch of the MSM is on board! CNN reported the story on the Oregon contamination 2 days ago. Here's the link to the 3 minute news clip Farmers Fear Mystery Wheat
Posted by: Robert | June 19, 2013 at 06:47 AM