Ever heard of Monsanto? Their Genetically Modified (G.M’s) seeds such as corn, canola, soybeans and cotton have changed todays food industry immensely and that of the life of the everyday farmer. Their products have been modified in ways that help to speed up their growth rate, production size, longevity and resistance to pests and insects and in a way have essentially replaced the naturally grown seeds that farmers used to use. Because Monsanto is an industrial giant and have the ability to buy out any small business they desire, they now own around 90 percent of the soybean market and huge portions of other food products (corn, canola and cotton) in the U.S and have virtually began taking over the life of the farmers. How?
They’ve patented their G.M seeds and can sue those who are growing them without their consent. Many farmers have lost their land to grow their own products because Monsanto’s seeds would be carried through the wind and start growing on land that isn’t theirs. These G.M seeds have a specific DNA code in which Monsanto is able to identify if it’s their plant or not and in turn can take action to bully farmers into either leaving their land or joining Monsanto’s quest in controlling the food industry with G.M products. They’ve already been putting millions of dollars into research of how to G.M cows so that they produce more milk and faster.
Monsanto claims to have found the solution to world hungry and lack of food and believes they are doing the ethical thing by producing these G.M products for the world but in reality are doing the unethical thing by bullying farmers and giving them no chance of survival unless they join Monsanto and use their G.M seeds. This is a growing concern all across the world because even though Monsanto claims that their G.M seeds are safe and healthy and are doing the ethical thing, we still have no idea what the long term effects are of consuming these products. Maybe thirty years down the road people will start showing signs of cancer and other diseases from consuming these G.M products. I believe that Monsanto is among the top most evil businesses out there and are doing the unethical thing for how they’ve treated the everyday farmer.
Resourses: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805
