Eco Friendly Living

I may describe my personal experience about a specific product that I’ve used, but do not generally like to speak negatively about a company in whole.  However, I detest Monsanto.  Yes, I’ve said it.  It is one company I wish to never do business with. Monsanto has been known for the following:

• Monsanto was heavily involved in creating the very first nuclear bomb in the Manhattan Project.
• In the 60’s Monsanto entered into a partnership with IG Farben, a German chemical firm that was the financial core of the Hitler regime.
• For nearly 40 years, the company willingly and knowingly dumped chemical toxin called PCB in a small town in Alabama.
• Monsanto was the main supplier of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.  Agent Orange is a code name for a very powerful herbicide and defoliant initially used to reduce the dense jungle in Vietnam.  Monsanto’s Agent Orange had dioxin level several times higher than other manufacturers and knew about the severe health problems associated with the chemical.  It has been showed that the company presented EPA with false documentation regarding the herbicide.  Agent Orange affected 4.8 million Vietnamese, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities and over 500,000 babies born with deformities.
• Monsanto uses fear and bully methods through their “spies” to monitor small farmers across the country and the world. 
• In 1998, India was forced to accept Monsanto’s seeds and since caused more than 25,000 suicides due to the company’s forced methods of farming.

Now, what does a company like this have to do with our eco friendly living?  Monsanto probably has the biggest influence over our food intake than any other company out there.  Although, the US Patent and Trademark Office refused to grant patens on life-forms, citing there are too many variables, in 1980, the Supreme Court sided with a scientist at General Electric to grant a patent on “a live human-made microorganism” to clean up oil spill.  Even though the patent wasn’t for a seed, the precedent has been set to seek patents on life-forms.  Since then, Monsanto has been diligent in obtaining patents on their seeds and this is how Monsanto has affected our food supplies:

• Monsanto is the maker of Round Up, a very popular herbicide to control weeds.
• The company creates Genetically Modified seeds that have been injected with the herbicide in to the genetic makeup so that the Round Up spraying does not affect the crops.  Instead of the organic method of tilling to remove the weeds, the crops have been drenched with this carcinogenic herbicide.
• Any farmers who purchase seeds from Monsanto must sign an agreement stating that they will not save the seeds to harvest in the future, thus making farmers completely dependent on Monsanto.
• Monsanto claims that their GMO seeds have higher yields of production, when in fact; this has been proven wrong over and over again.
• In smaller countries, such as India that were forced to use GMO seeds from Monsanto, many could not sustain their farms due to low yield and annual seed purchasing. 
• Monsanto’s GMO seeds can end up in neighboring organic and non-GMO farms through open pollination and bird dropping.  Monsanto has known to sue and win against these farmers for patent infringement and usage of their GMO seeds even though it is the organic natural foods that have been ruined.  Monsanto claims that even though the farmer may not have used their seeds, but due to the pollination, the “gene” of the new crop now belongs to them.
• 90% of the GMO crops grown in the fields are Monsanto seeds.
• Many countries ban the use of Monsanto’s GMO seeds.
• GMO products may increase the natural food toxins.
• Most countries have specific labeling requirement for foods that are GMO.  Most countries, except for the United States.
• Monsanto is the maker of Bovine Growth Hormones (rBGH) to be used on dairy cows for increase in milk production.  This hormone is banned in Europe, Canada and many parts of Asia as the studies show that the hormone is easily absorbed in humans.  The overproduction of the milk causes udder infection on cows, which leads to increased usage of antibiotics.  This growth hormone is widely used in the United States.  No long term studies have been done regarding the affects of the growth hormones ingested by humans.
• Small dairy farmers using the labeling, “No Bovine Growth Hormones” in their milk cartons have been sued by Monsanto that these farmers “should not have the right to inform their customers” that their milk does not have Monsanto chemicals.  These farmers were forced to remove the labeling and also settle out of court.
• Monsanto has the best network of “spies” known to many farmers as “Mafia” or “Gestapo” using scare tactics to control the farming, thus putting many small farmers out of business.
• Monsanto is working on patenting of livestock.

I cannot possibly list you all the alarming things about this company.  I am shocked and appalled that such a company can exist and continue to influence our food supplies.  Monsanto spends money and time claiming that their goal is to end world hunger by producing GMO’s that have higher crop yields.  However, this has been shown to be more of a PR ploy, rather than a scientific data.  Monsanto’s GMO seeds produce less than traditional methods and cause many farmers to go out of business due to annual seed purchasing required by the company.  It is so frustrating when I make every attempt to avoid purchasing GMO’s, the FDA continues to block any forms of specific labeling.  Whether you decide to purchase GMO products is your right.  I just wish I had that same right to make an informed decision through proper labeling of our foods.   

Check out the link below for more information on Monsanto.  http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm