The DVD cover for the documentary The World according to Monsanto reads like this:
“With operations in 46 countries, Monsanto has become the world leader in genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as one of the most controversial corporations in industrial history. Since its founding in 1901, the U.S. multinational has faced trial after trial due to the toxicity of its products. Today, it has reinvented itself as a “life sciences” company converted to the virtues of sustainable development.
Calling on hitherto unpublished documents and first-hand accounts by victims, scientists and politicians, The World according to Monsanto pieces together the story of an industrial giant that, thanks in part to lies, collusion with the American government, pressure tactics and attempted corruption, has become one of the world’s leading seed manufacturers, spreading GM crops worldwide with no real monitoring of their effects on nature and human health.”
The film made by Marie-Monique Robin, 2008, is a France-Canada co-production with co-operation of several TV stations from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and others.
- Canada did not approve GM crops after Health Canada staff raised concerns about its safety to human health - BUT three Health Canada staff members got fired for raising concerns. In the UK something similar happened. Scientists working for the British Health Services who were asked to assess GMOs from the USA got fired for raising alarm. One of the scientists later figured out that there must have been intervention from the UK and US governments and the UK gave in after the US warned them of what’s at stake. After all one of the largest corporations in the world spent a lot of money on developing these crops and wants to make profit of it.
- In India Monsanto crops have been called suicide seeds, ruining lots of small farmers. They bought the seeds at double the price of regular seeds but the seeds required Monsanto’s fertilizers and pesticides to actually grow well. The little money earned from selling the harvest still left the farmer with a mountain of debt from the initial investment. Monsanto does not allow farmers to save seeds either so farmers have to buy them again next year.
- Monsanto’s pesticides are so strong their run-off from fields during a rain period killed 60 geese and ducks of a Paraguayan farmer. This farmer lives close to the GM crop fields. Although never planting GM crops himself his fields have been taken over by the GM crop. He has trouble planting and growing other foods for his family, therefore losing his subsistence. In addition, his boy who walks across the GM crop field every day to the market has developed skin eczema that the family can't afford to get treated.
- Mexico’s variety of corn is being contaminated with GMOs as seeds spread naturally and changes the DNA of traditional corn breeds. Mexico is very proud of its corn varieties and a healthy environment needs biodiversity.
- Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is widely used in the USA to increase milk production in cows. The United States is the only developed nation to permit humans to drink milk from cows given this artificial growth hormone, marketed as Posilac. Posilac was banned from use in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all European Union countries by 2000 or earlier. But in Canada, bulk milk products from the US produced with rBST are still allowed to be sold and used in food manufacture (cheese, yogurt etc.). In the EU, both meat and dairy products from the US are banned from import.
Monsanto bought up about 50 agricultural companies worldwide making it difficult to track what’s a Monsanto product, even for the ordinary person that goes to the store to buy pesticides and seeds. The USA, conveniently for Monsanto and contrary to Europe, does not require labelling for GM food because it’s considered ‘safe’ for consumption. Corn for example is found in a huge range of foods and when it comes in the form of starches, sweeteners or syrups it’s not all that obvious to the consumer.
Type "Monsanto Suicide Seeds" into Google and you'll find out all the things you have never dared to think about with regards to food. I noticed that the term suicide seeds is more often used in association with the Terminator gene. In order to enforce the farmer's dependence on Monsanto crops seeds will be sterile and unable to reproduce once the plant has grown. Monsanto then can demand any price and the farmer will have to pay this price to be able to grow this crop again. Considering Monsanto's worldwide influence this corporations is able to control large parts of the food market - food that we all depend upon. Unfortunately, although there is protests and resistance Monsanto mostly gets its way and faces no major repercussions for its actions. All the law suits aimed at the giant have not stopped it. The following article http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990111-1,00.html explains quite well the details behind the Terminator genes. I do not agree with the tone of the article though since it plays down the risks far too much. How can anybody say "it's not going to be that bad" when a similar seed has not been there before. The interference of such seeds with our environment can surely only be based on guess work and small scale lab tests. Note that the article is dated 1999!! There's something going on that's very well covered up from the public and it stinks.
Food seeds are just one thing that Monsanto is involved in. There are tree seeds, animal testing, Agent Orange, DDT, Aspartame, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone and much more - check out http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto
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