gmo, which of course goes far beyond monsanto

by Duncan Johnston 10 min read

What's the difference between Monsanto and GMO?

In fact, for most of the general public, Monsanto = GMO. (If you can think of an acronym more closely associated with a corporation than Monsanto and GMO, we'll give you a retweet.) What exactly is a GMO? To genetically modify a plant or animal means you're manipulating its DNA to include some desirable trait.

Was I lured into Monsanto’s GMO crusade?

Opinion: I Was Lured Into Monsanto’s GMO Crusade. Here’s What I Learned. As a once-vocal supporter of the company’s GMO push, I learned that debates about science are never just about science. Left:Top:The controversial agricultural company Monsanto, acquired last June by Bayer, has become synonymous with genetically modified food.

Should we trust science about GMO safety?

The fact of the matter is, all throughout the industrial age, we have used science to invent very “safe” and amazing things that have later been proven to be quite harmful. After generations of this, we simply have little faith that science can tell us so soon anything at all about GMO safety.

Do you think GMO research is biased?

You say the scientific consensus says that GMOs are safe; however, do you realise that most GMO research comes from companies like Monsanto? journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167777 This is an article by Thomas Guillemaud showing that about 40 percent of all GMO research is biased.

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What percent of GMOs are Monsanto?

Monsanto was the world's largest seed company and owned over 80% of all the genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered) seeds planted around the world.

Who is the largest producer of GMOs?

Monsanto (USA)The largest producer of genetically modified seeds is Monsanto (USA) which currently dominates between 70% and 100% of the global market for genetically modified seeds.

Does Monsanto use GMOs?

Biotech companies like Monsanto, Dow, Dupont and Syngenta create not only GMO seeds, but an entire system of food production.

What did Monsanto make before transitioning into GMOs?

After being acquired by Bayer in 2018, it ceased to exist as an entity. The Monsanto Chemical Works was founded in 1901 by John F. Queeny (1859–1933), a purchasing agent for a wholesale drug company, to manufacture the synthetic sweetener saccharin, then produced only in Germany.

What are 2 of the top 4 GM crops?

What GMO crops are grown and sold in the United States?Corn: Corn is the most commonly grown crop in the United States, and most of it is GMO. ... Soybean: Most soy grown in the United States is GMO soy. ... Cotton: ... Potato: ... Papaya: ... Summer Squash: ... Canola: ... Alfalfa:More items...•

Which country uses the most GMO?

Among the countries growing GM crops, the USA (70.9 Mha), Brazil (44.2 Mha), Argentina (24.5 Mha) India (11.6 Mha) and Canada (11 Mha) are the largest users.

What has Monsanto done wrong?

Monsanto also developed the popular herbicide, glyphosate (brand-name: Roundup®), which was recently labeled a “probable human carcinogen.” While the cancer-causing “weed killer” is causing countless lawsuits, it also contributed to other issues in the agricultural world.

When did Monsanto start GMO?

1994Monsanto starts its pivot into biotechnology. It genetically engineers a plant cell in 1982, commercializes the first genetically engineered product, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) - in 1994, and brings its first genetically engineered seeds, Roundup soybeans, onto the market in 1996.

What is Monsanto called now?

Chemical Giant Bayer Agrees To Buy Monsanto For $66 Billion The combined company will be known simply as Bayer, while product names will remain the same.

Why is Monsanto an unethical company?

Its biggest recent case of unethical practice was regarding the production of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which many farms that practice mass milk production inject into their cows. This is not only cruel but also unhealthy.

Who owns Monsanto now?

BayerMonsanto / Parent organizationIn September 2016, Monsanto (current owner of MiracleGro) agreed to be acquired by Bayer for US$66 billion.

Does Monsanto own Pfizer?

The current Monsanto Company was incorporated in 2000 and spun off from Pharmacia in 2002, becoming a completely independent company focused solely on agriculture. The new Monsanto leased space at the Chesterfield site from Pharmacia, and the lease continued after Pfizer acquired Pharmacia in 2003.

What is Monsanto?

What exactly is Monsanto and why does everybody talk about it? Monsanto is a major global corporation that produces biotechnology and agricultural chemicals.

What are the anti-GMO activists asking for?

Anti-GMO activists ask for transparency through labeling which foods on your grocery store shelf contain GMOs. "If you want to avoid sugar, aspartame, trans fats, MSG, or just about anything else, you read the label," Mark Bittman wrote in the New York Times.

What happens when farmers use herbicides?

Superweeds. This is a thing. When farmers use herbicides to kill weeds, those weeds can naturally select themselves into resistance to those chemicals. For example, in the late 1990s, U.S. farmers began using a herbicide produced by Monsanto called glyphosate in combination with genetically modified cotton that was engineered to resist glyphosate. The idea is simple -- you can spray your crops with this chemical and kill the weeds without risking your cotton As predicted by some anti-GMO groups and scientists, this led to gylphosate-resistant weeds. Which just led to use of another herbicide, which will undoubtedly run into the same problem. This pattern will not end until farmers find a sustainable solution, scientists say. What's worse is that the Department of Agriculture says this cycle permanently damages our best farm soil.

Why is Monsanto a concern?

Many people think Monsanto's patenting of seeds contributes to poverty among farmers by forcing them to pay expensive fees to Monsanto in order to acquire seeds . Monsanto also attaches additional caveats restricting the use of these patented seeds.

What are some examples of GMOs?

GMOs can also create foods with high volumes of nutrients. One example is golden rice, which is a GMO that contains 60% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Golden rice is a powerful, efficient tool for poor populations fighting childhood blindness, which is caused by Vitamin A deficiency.

What makes Monsanto so controversial?

What makes Monsanto particularly controversial is that these techniques genetically modify crops. This is where we get the term "genetically modified organisms" or "GMOs.". In fact, for most of the general public, Monsanto = GMO. (If you can think of an acronym more closely associated with a corporation than Monsanto and GMO, ...

What is genetic modification?

To genetically modify a plant or animal means you're manipulating its DNA to include some desirable trait. Technically, we've been genetically modifying plants and animals practically forever. Our dogs, our red apples, and our cows are examples of genetic modification.

What crops does Monsanto grow?

Monsanto provides seeds for eight-row crops: canola, corn, alfalfa, cotton, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, and sorghum.

Why are GMOs used in agriculture?

GMOs are used to increase food production; several farmers and agricultural companies have made a significant profit from using GMOs in their crops. GMOs can increase toxins in the food chain, so when humans consume large amounts of food with GMOs, they could develop digestive issues and certain forms of cancer.

What is a GMO seed?

GMO’s: What They Are and What They Do. GMO is the abbreviation for Genetically Modified Organism. Genetically refers to genes made of DNA. DNA is a set of directions for how cells develop and grow. Modified means changed.

What is Roundup herbicide?

One example is Roundup, an herbicide produced by Monsanto that has caused various forms of cancer in users. Monsanto Seeds. Despite Monsanto controversy, the company offers several types of seeds for farmers and agricultural companies.

How many countries use GMOs?

About 29 countries, including the US, India, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina use GMOs. However, GMOs are banned in more than 30 other countries. GMO Benefits and Risks. The World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that GMO foods present the same health risks as non-GMO foods.

What is Monsanto used for?

There are several Monsanto products on the market used for growing and processing food. Some of the products are also used to prevent weeds and pesticides from ruining crops. Monsanto was founded in St. Louis in 1901 as a chemical company. Bayer, a leading pharmaceutical company, eventually acquired the firm.

What is modified organism?

Modified means changed. Organisms are living things, including fungi and bacteria; the word ‘organism’ does not just refer to crops. In 2011, 83% of cotton, 75% of soya beans, 32% of corn, and 26% of rapeseed was GMO-produced. About 29 countries, including the US, India, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina use GMOs.

What is the pro-GMO argument?

The most common pro-GMO argument that you will hear these days is that genetically modified crops are the only way to feed the worlds burgeoning population. Without them, proponents claim that hunger will claim the lives of millions over the next decade. In the gospel of biotech, GMOs are the answer to world hunger. If you protest against GMO technology, you are cast as a cold-hearted elitist and the deaths of all of those suffering children in ***** (pick-a-3rd-world-country) rest firmly on your doorstep.

Who is the CEO of Monsanto?

Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant writes:

What does Biotech want you to believe?

Biotech wants you to believe that there is no sense in fighting them. They want you to just accept what they have to say and eat their tainted products. They hope that people feel like they are too powerful to fight and like the battle has already been won.

Is there a nutritional difference between genetically modified food and organic food?

Biotech will tell you that there is absolutely no nutritional difference between genetically modified food and its organic counterpart. They will cite the calories, the fiber, and all of the macronutrients, pointing out that they are identical. They will scoff and roll their collective eyes at the “ignorance” of people who pay double to triple the price to avoid GMOs in their kitchens. Even television’s Dr. Oz came out on his show in support of the nutritional equality of GMO foods, saying that organic food was “undemocratic”.

Did Monsanto say genetically modified organisms have never been proven to harm people?

Monsanto mouthpieces have been quoted time, time, and time again stating the untruth that genetically modified organisms have never been proven to harm people. It seems that they believe, like Joseph Goebbels, the uncontested King of Propaganda, that if you repeat a lie often enough, and with enough conviction, that it becomes the accepted truth.

Is it true that GMOs lurk in over 70% of processed foods that line the grocery store shelves?

Even the mainstream media has reported on the omnipresence of genetically modified ingredients. This makes it very difficult to avoid them. The biotech companies have spent millions and millions of dollars in the fight against GMO labeling in an attempt to convince the public that the grocery costs will go up without their seeds.

What is the practice of no tilling?

When we plant our crops we use a practice called no-till. In the fall, I plant a grain such as wheat or rye. This grows through the fall. It keeps my soil covered, prevents weeds from growing and improves my soil health because the root system of the plant keeps the soil in the ground from being compacted.

Is Mg toxic to crops?

Minerals, N,P, Mg along with ORGANIC MATTER applied to all fields and pasture creates a soil rich in microbial life (bacteria, viruses, fungi and invertebrate fauna), Applying chemicals to your growing crops is toxic to all things alive in the soil.

Do GMOs cause cancer?

Plus, an independent French research team repeated one of Monsanto’s trials except the researchers extended the trial period for 2 yrs and found that GMOs really do cause cancer ; it posed so much of a threat to Monsanto that it was retracted but fortunately was republished with responses to its critics.

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