Monsanto is an agricultural organisation which specialises in biotechnology and genetically modifying organisms such as plant seeds. It was the first company to genetically modify a plant cell with the aim of creating better, stronger breeds of crops and plants in order to make agriculture more productive, efficient and overall sustainable which is vital for poorer countries and the population of the world as it is growing at a rapid rate. The Food and Agriculture organisation of the UN states that if the global population reaches 9.1 billion by 2050 then food production will need to rise by 70%, and production in the developing world will have to double. [https://www.populationinstitute.org/resources/populationonline/issue/1/8/] (Online) (accessed 12 May 2014). However, genetically modifying organisms seem to be very controversial as there are many people who believe that GMOs are unethical and are a health risk to people and the environment.
Monsanto have developed many different varieties of sustainable seeds by genetically modifying them in order to give them specific characteristics. Some of these are making them resistant to pesticides growing bigger, etc. This can benefit farmers greatly as it can help feed animals and have higher yields of crops by overcoming common problems that would hold them back especially in poorer countries where bad yields or not enough rainfall can devastate people and lead to famines such as in West Africa, in 2012 where insect infestation and general bad yield meant 18 million people were facing starvation. [http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies] (Online) (accessed 12 May). The environment also benefits in a number of ways with GMOs, agriculture accounts for 80% of deforestation around the world;...
... middle of paper ...
...ing crops can be considered as a subtle but effective way of protesting against GMO as it attempts to make GMOs extinct.
Overall Monsanto is a huge organisation whose aims are to create sustainable agriculture in order to ease the problem of a growing population and poverty stricken areas. However GMO crops and plants used for animal and human consumption remains very controversial. Many organisations campaign against companies such as Monsanto who create and sell GMO and instead encourage people to eat organic pesticide free food and talk about the danger to health by consuming GMO foods. However when talking about ethics it can be argued that it is better to provide a GMO crop to which can resist droughts and pests instead of allowing people to go hungry when an infestation or droughts affects poor area that could result in people going hungry and famine.
Monsanto Company are a public American multinational agricultural and agrochemical biotechnology corporation who leads in the production of genetically engineered seeds. Founded by John Queeny in 1901, the organization initially produced industrial chemicals such as sulphuric acid and plastics, including polystyrene and synthetic fibres. It was not until 1983, where the company was among the first to genetically modify a plant cell and conduct field trials of genetically modified crops. This scientific breakthrough shifted the company 's corporate focus towards the agricultural industry with the implementation of biotechnology. The company’s primary line of products consist of herbicides and genetically modified seeds.1
Monsanto employs over 20,000 employees dispersed throughout their facilities within 69 countries. John F. Queeny, founder of Monsanto, started the company in 1901, which at first manufactured saccharine. Later, John son Edward directed the companies into the agriculture industry. The company is best known producing Round up, an herbicide, and for developing genetically modified (GM) through biotechnology. “Monsanto developed G.M. seeds that would resist its own herbicide, Roundup, offering farmers a convenient way to spray fields with weed killer without affecting crops” (Barlett, D. L. & Steele, J. B, 2008). Since the start up the company has encounter several lawsuits, patent issues and critics. The company also faces many concerns about the
Genetically modified? That alone should be a cause for alarm, and have you wondering, what exactly is in this that I am eating? Yet every day millions of American’s choose to load up on food filled with GMO’s, and not even know it. First we must understand what GMO’s are. GMO’s are any organism whose genetics has been altered using genetic engineering. We should not be tampering with nature, and should try to grow organically as much as possible. There has not been enough research on GMO’s to know the potential long term effects it can have on us, so this is why GMO’s should be banned.
Monsanto is the world 's leader on bio-technology and was found in St. Louis Missouri. Monsanto was not known as an agriculture company at first as it is now rather a chemical company of the 20th century. They are also responsible for growing 90 percent of the world 's GMO’s. On Monsanto’s website it states their goal is to help farmers around the world to produce healthier foods, conserving more, and better animal feeds while reducing impact on our environment. Monsanto 's GMO has been effecting our environment for years but have not yet brought to justice according to this video. The question is why? According to this documentary Monsanto created many hazardous chemicals for example PCBs, Agent Orange and recombinant
Between 1961 and 1971, Monsanto, along with Dow Chemical and other chemical companies, provided herbicides and defoliants, including Agent Orange, to the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. As a consequence of the exposure to dioxins contained in the defoliant, the military personnel in Vietnam suffered of injuries, such as Chloracne, heart disease, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, etc. (“Veterans' Diseases Associated with Agent Orange”) In 1980, a class-action lawsuit concerning Agent Orange was filed against Monsanto, Dow Chemical and other chemical companies, but these companies denied that Agent Orange was linked to the veterans’ medical problems. In 1984, seven of the chemical companies involved decided to settle the class-action
In an argument, the lawyer representing Monsanto Company stated that the amount of arable land around the world is quickly dwindling. This means that it is time to take extra drastic measures to improve food safety throughout the world. Genetically modified seeds and related chemicals offer the best solution for such food safety concerns and thus the company was right to make such investments. This idea comes from recent realization of a robust population boom throughout the world, an inability for traditional agricultural practices and seeds to withstand changing climatic systems. Modification of the seed’s genetic material to withstand climatic and other environmental threats seems to be a viable solution to the challenge.
Monsanto is a multinational agricultural and agrochemical biotechnology corporation based in America and is the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds. Monsanto argues that using science and newfound research to create genetically modified food is necessary in order to save our world from starvation. Eduardo Blumwald, a professor of cell biology and employee for Monsanto, says that genetically modified food could be “the only viable solution we have for our future” (Ostrander 24) where it is predicted that the temperature and population will soar. Blumwald argues that without genetically engineering food to produce under high temperatures with little water, the world could potentially starve in this predicted future. Yet regardless of “biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit” (“GMO Facts”). Instead, Monsanto genetically modifies food to resist RoundUp, a pesticide the company has created to kill any plants or bugs other than the genetically engineered crop. According to the World Health Organization, this pesticide “is a probable human carcinogen” (“GMOs”) due to glyphosate, a
...to be resistant to the company's own Roundup herbicide This means that farmers are utterly dependent on Monsanto; a situation similar as with the United States. The biggest adversaries of GM soybeans are environmentalist. For example, floods are happening because of soya farming in the region of Santa Fe and Chaco where the Salado River begins. The deforestation and the low permeability of the soil used in soya farming contributed to more channeling more water into the river. On the other side, people claim that GM crops are required to fight hunger in poor and developing countries. Evidence shows otherwise. GM crops have increased the use of pesticides while increasing poverty. Over 170,000 famers have had to quit on their lands because they couldn’t compete with big GM farmers, thus leading to more poverty. Also, herbicides have introduced new health problems.
“The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers and providing verified non-GMO choices.” () They are trying to educate people on the foods they are consuming. They also want to restore the traditional way of farming by trying to grow non-GMO seedlings. Furthermore, there are possible ways to help stop GMOs. We can stop farms from growing them and grow the original version.
According to Galyna Sidyelyeva, “research has provided insight into the issue of the nutritional value of GM crops. For example, the Venneria group tested genetically modified wheat, corn, and tomatoes. They found wheat and corn are similar to their non-GM counterparts and tomatoes differ only in their antioxidant content, having a lower amount than their unmodified relatives” (50). With this in mind there are many people in the world today that may find value from GM crops; for example, in countries where people are starving. While the crops may not be identical to its non-GM counterparts, these countries will still profit from them. In “A dubious success: The NGO campaign against GMOs,” Robert Paarlberg asserts, “Unfortunately, in the case of NGO [non-GMO] campaigns against GMO crops, they typically emerge from rich countries while imposing consequences on poor countries” (228). As one can see, these rich countries may have succeeded in not allowing some GMOs in but to date in America they still are not labeled; so, they are only hurting the poor countries by trying to make a controversy over labeling that is
...M crops will escalate the cost of farming, causing many small farmers to potentially loose their businesses. As GMOs continue to affect human life and the environment, it should be mandatory for products to be labeled if they are genetically modified, thus giving consumers the right to make their own decision. With the list of health risks and environmental issues rising, the use of GMOs should be banned as a method to increase food supply and continue a natural approach to eliminate all risks.
In most cases, people believe the information that is readily available to them. So, no wonder most people think that GMOs are bad for them and the environment. A study on the public view and the scientific view of genetically modified organisms showed that “The American public remains divided on the issue of genetic modification. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 57 % of 2002 respondents consider genetically modified organisms generally unsafe. In comparison, 88% of 3748 scientists consider GMOs generally safe” (Mintz 1). Usually, people hear something about a topic and that is it, what they hear is what they believe. Companies that produce food that are genetically modified and scientists that believe in the use of GMOs do not go out of their way to show the public the years of research that have gone into proving that genetically modified organisms are in fact safe for humans and the environment. Therefore, the companies who are against the use of genetically modified organisms, such as the Non-GMO Project, are the ones the public believe because they campaign on their ideas that GMOs are unsafe. It is the fault of stakeholders, such as Monsanto and General Mills, for the misconception of the public regarding genetically modified
...ence of GM crops is that genetic modifications can develop proteins in plants which a consumer could be allergic to. For example, one of the most common allergies is with the peanut. What would happen if peanut proteins interlace into tomato seeds? Then people with peanut allergies would not be able to eat genetically modified tomatoes. There are many reasons to stop the production of GM food. It can produce serious long-term nature accidents, but there is no way to know much about it until is too late (“GM Food” 2).
GM seeds are considered revolution in the agriculture industry for some reasons. First and foremost, GM seeds can grow crops regardless of hostile conditions, which help farmers increase revenues. Besides, as a result of population growth across the global, the demand for food continuously increases. Biotech products provided by the Monsanto Company will be the best solution for this phenomenon. Especially in populous countries like India, biotech crops allow farmers both save lands and double their harvest.
Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.