Monsanto

Monsanto is considered the mother of agricultural biotechnology. The company produces biotechnology, genomics and herbicides for corn, cotton, oil seeds, and vegetables. It produces genetically altered seeds to tolerate it's flagship product, Roundup. Monsanto also produces Asgrow, DEKALB, Deltapine, and Seminis seeds. Other products have included Agent Orange, the now ubiquitous PCBs, DDT, Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and Aspartame.

Monsanto is one of the "Big 6" Biotech Corporations, along with BASF, Bayer, Dow Chemical Company, Dupont, and Syngenta (so called because they dominate the agricultural input market -- that is, they own the world’s seed, pesticide and biotechnology industries).

In the fiscal year ending in August of 2010, the company reported sales of approximately 10.5 billion dollars and had 27,600 employees.



Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
Monsanto has been a corporate funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

A list of ALEC Corporations can be found here.

Overview and History
The Monsanto company was created in 1901 by John Francis Queeny (photo) and named after his wife, Olga Mendez Monsanto. Since that time, the name Monsanto has become symbolic of the greed, arrogance, scandal and hardball business practices of many multinational corporations. Less well known is that Monsanto was heavily involved in the creation of the first nuclear bomb for the Manhattan Project during WWII via its facilities in Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Project was headed by Charlie Thomas, Director of Monsanto's Central Research Department. He later became the company's president. Monsanto also operated a nuclear facility for the federal government in Miamisburg, Ohio, called the Mound Project, until the 1980s.


 * "In 1967, Monsanto entered into a joint venture with IG Farben. (The) German chemical firm that was the financial core of the Hitler regime, and was the main supplier of Zyklon-B to the German government during the extermination phase of the Holocaust."

IG Farben was not dissolved until 2003. See also pharmaceutical industry. Monsanto was the creator of several attractions in Disney's Tommorrowland. Often they revolved around the the virtues of chemicals and plastics. Their "House of the Future" was constructed entirely of plastic, but biodegradable it was not:


 * "After attracting a total of 20 million visitors from 1957 to 1967, Disney finally tore the house down, but discovered it would not go down without a fight. According to Monsanto Magazine, wrecking balls literally bounced off the glass-fiber, reinforced polyester material.  Torches, jackhammers, chain saws and shovels did not work. Finally, choker cables were used to squeeze off parts of the house bit by bit to be trucked away."  However another of their synthetic inventions, Astroturf (fake grass), survives.

See also history of Monsanto time line.

Global Pollution and Environmental Impact
In the Washington Post article (Jan 1, 2002) "Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution PCBs Drenched Ala. Town, But No One Was Ever Told" a grim story of Monsanto's treacherous behavior in Anniston Alabama was revealed. It is summed up in this chilling paragraph: "They also know that for nearly 40 years, while producing the now-banned industrial coolants known as PCBs at a local factory, Monsanto Co. routinely discharged toxic waste into a west Anniston creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into oozing open-pit landfills. And thousands of pages of Monsanto documents -- many emblazoned with warnings such as "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" -- show that for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew." 

According to a 2013 report by Food and Water Watch (FWW), "Monsanto’s day-to-day operations have wreaked havoc on the environment and public health." FWW specifically cites Monsanto's past production of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Monsanto produced about 99 percent of PCBs used by U.S. industry at its plant in Sauget, Illinois until PCB production was banned by Congress in 1976, due to their carcinogenic properties and detrimental effects to the liver, endocrine system, immune system, reproductive system, developmental system, skin, eye and brain. Despite the ban, PCBs continue to be illegally dumped or leaked, and since these chemicals do not break down easily, they continue to cycle through air, water and soil for long periods of time. Thus PCBs continue accumulating in plants and food crops, as well as in fish and other aquatic organisms, which are then ingested by other animals building up higher levels of PCBs as they move up the food chain.

For more see Monsanto's Global Pollution Legacy.

EPA Superfund Sites
Several Monsanto-owned facilities have been deemed "Superfund sites" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sites that are so contaminated or full of hazardous waste that they are placed on the "National Priorities List" for clean up by the EPA Superfund. Many more plants have been deemed hazardous by the EPA and have been ordered cleaned up through other means, such as litigation. Examples of such sites include :
 * Monsanto plant in August, Georgia: Superfund-listed in 1984 for arsenic-laden waste and sludge contributing to groundwater contamination
 * Monsanto phosphorous plant in Soda Springs, Idaho: Superfund-listed in 1990 for arsenic, cadmium, radium and other toxins
 * Monsanto plant in Sauget, Illinois: Two super-funded sites still in clean up after initial 1982 listing; plant produced 99 percent of all PCBs in the United States
 * Monsanto PCB plant in Anniston, Alabama: Listed under Superfund Alternative Approach in 2000 for extensive PCB contamination over six decades; city has been characterized as one of the most polluted places in America
 * Solutla (former Monsanto) Plant in Nitro, West Virginia: Monsanto and Pharmacia entered into a Consent Order with the EPA in 2004 to perform evaluation and cleanup for release of dioxin from the 2,4,5-T (a component of Agent Orange) manufacturing plant over a 20-year period.

Food Safety Issues
On March 11 2008, 'The World According to Monsanto', by journalist and film maker Marie-Monique Robin, was was aired on French television. The documentary you won't be seeing on American television, revealed that the biotech giant is threatening to destroy the agricultural biodiversity which has served mankind for thousands of years. (right)

Millions Against Monsanto
Between May 1 and May 26, a broad coalition of food, farm, health, public interest, and environmental groups all over the country, joined by leading organic food companies, raised one million dollars to support the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, a citizens' ballot initiative, and other state GMO-labeling campaigns. The money was raised in response to efforts by Monsanto and "California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse" (CALA) to disuade and confuse more than 90% of California voters who want labels on genetically engineered food.

Roundup Ready Controversy
Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" crops have been genetically engineered to allow direct application of the Monsanto herbicide glyphosate, which lets farmers drench both their crops and crop land with the herbicide so as to be able to kill nearby weeds without killing the crops. According to Charles M. Benbrook, an expert in the field: "RR soybeans are heavily herbicide dependent."

For more see Monsanto's Roundup Ready Controversy.

Terminator Technology
Monsanto came under heavy public fire with the development of their "Terminator Technology", a.k.a. "suicide seeds", known technically as V-GURTs (varietal Genetic Use Restriction Technologies) in which the seeds resulting from the first year's planting would be sterile thereby forcing farmers around the world in the Roundup Ready System to buy their seed from them every year rather than saving their best seed for the next years planting, a traditional and economical practice. Seed saving has had the benefit of allowing farmers to continually improve the quality of their crops through careful artificial selection.

Fears were also expressed that Monsanto's terminator genes could spread to wild plants. According to the UN Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, "Cross-fertilising V-GURT containing crops may cause considerable effects in neighbouring crop stands and wild relatives.... The fact that in North America, where large stands of GMO varieties are now grown contamination of non-GMO varieties by GMO germplasm has been observed ... suggests that this scenario is a realistic probability".

For more see Monsanto and Terminator Technology.

Campaign to Undermine Organic Agriculture
Monsanto partially funds the anti-organic Center for Global Food Issues, a project of the right-wing Hudson Institute. It is run by Dennis Avery and his son Alex Avery. Here find the latest on Hudson's anti-environmental and pro-biotech spinmeister Michael Fumento, and his secretly taking money (at least $60,000) from Monsanto. See also.

In 1998 Dennis wrote an article that began "'According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who eat organic and natural foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the population to be attacked by a deadly new strain of E. coli bacteria (0157:H7)'. However, according to Robert Tauxe, M.D., chief of the food borne and diarrheal diseases branch of the CDC, there is no such data on organic food production in existence at their centers and he says Avery's claims are 'absolutely not true.'". Following in his father's steps Alex distorted a study from the Journal of Food Protection that showed that organic food does not contain more pathogens than conventionally grown, contrary to Avery's claims.

For more see Monsanto and the Campaign to Undermine Organics.

Genetic Pollution or 'How to Succeed Without Really Trying'
Organic farms are increasingly finding that via cross-pollination their pure food has been contaminated with GM DNA, thus ruining their businesses. "In 2002, Ontario farmer Alex Nurnberg had tests conducted on his 100-ton harvest of organic corn. Twenty tons were found to be contaminated by GMOs, which Nurnberg believes were blown by the wind from the corn on a neighboring farm. 'I was not ready for it. I feel such a wrath about it,' says Nurnberg."

For more see Monsanto, Genetic Pollution and Monopolism.

Monsanto, GM foods & Health Risks
Courtesy Michael Hansen, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Consumer Reports:

SUMMARY: Based on the scientific uncertainty surrounding both the molecular characterization of genetically engineered (GE) crops as well as the detection of potential allergenicity, there is more than enough uncertainty to decide to require labeling of foods produced via GE as a risk management measure as a way to identify unintended health effects that may occur post approval. If foods are not labeled as to GE status, it would be very difficult to even identify an unexpected health effect resulting from a GE food.

For more see Reasons for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

Labeling Issues, Revolving Doors, rBGH & Bribery


An issue of growing concern is the Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods. Many have questioned why it is that while consumers in all of Europe and about fifty other countries around the world including Japan, India and China are guaranteed the right to know through strict labeling standards what foods contain GM ingredients, while consumers in the United States are denied this same right. Polls indicate that the great majority of Americans who are aware of the issue want labels.

According to the 2013 Food and Water Watch report on Monsanto, the company has a long history with former and current employees of the U.S. government and public universities. FWW states that there has been a continuous "revolving door" between these public institutions and Monsanto's Board of Directors and senior staff and offers this as an explanation for Monsanto's powerful influence in public policy and research:


 * "Monsanto's board members have worked for the EPA, advised the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and served on President Obama's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. They presided over multiple universities in various senior positions, including South Dakota State university (with whom Monsanto has a significant research agreement), Arizona State's Biodesign Institue and Washington University in St. Louis. Monsanto shares board members with other corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Lockheed Martin and Synthetic Genomics.


 * The company's board members have been a part of the International food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council, the Council for Biotechnology Information, the United Kingdom Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences Biological Weapons working group, CropLife International and the Council on Foreign Relations.


 * ''The prevalence of Monsanto's directors in these highly influential positions begs a closer look at how they're able to push the pro-GE agenda within the government and influence public opinion."

Additionally, Monsanto ties to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have also come into question, especially with regards to the FDA's approval of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which has been the subject of much criticism and investigation. In 1994, at the request of Representatives George Brown of California, David Obey of Wisconsin, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Government Accountability Office investigated three FDA employees for conflicts of interest. Michael Taylor, Margaret Miller, and Suzanne Sechen had all been involved in Monsanto's initial rBGH studies and then went on to work for the FDA in positions that were later responsible for review of those same studies.

For more see Labeling Issues, Revolving Doors, rBGH, Bribery and Monsanto.

GM Trees, Grasses & Wheat
Food crops are not the only area Monsanto and others have hoped to cash in on with their technology, also with frightening consequences, a range of genetically engineered "designer" trees and forests are also high on their list. From trees modified to withstand Monsanto's Roundup to trees designed with a reduced lignin content (lignin gives trees strength and rigidity) to appeal to the paper making and construction industry to "terminator trees" which don't produce seeds. This has met with fierce resistance from activists and scientists alike, but again, to no avail. Already there has been a contamination issue with the GE papaya tree, the world's first commercially planted genetically engineered tree, which enraged local farmers in Hawaii.

For more see Monsanto and GM Trees And Grasses.

Monsanto made news in 2004 when it decided to withdraw its GM wheat from the market due to worldwide opposition. Environmental risks of GM wheat. Update: Monsanto has apparently changed its mind and again is attempting to commence cultivation of GM wheat. "'We’re encouraged,' says Monsanto’s Trish Jordan. 'There may be some opportunity for us to re-enter the wheat space'". This has created a furor with wheat growers, see Definitive Global Rejection of Genetically Engineered Wheat.

Indian Suicides
Farmers in India are finding that the "biotechnology revolution" is having a devastating effect on their crop lands and personal debt levels. "In 1998, the World Bank's structural adjustment policies forced India to open up its seed sector to global corporations like Cargill, Monsanto, and Syngenta. The global corporations changed the input economy overnight. Farm saved seeds were replaced by corporate seeds which needed fertilizers and pesticides and could not be saved" Says Vandana Shiva, leader of the movement to oust Monsanto from India.

For more see Monsanto in India.

Mexican Maize Mischief
Dr Ignacio Chapela, Associate Professor at UC Berkeley and graduate student David Quist were the target of attack by Monsanto after publishing a paper in the science journal Nature telling of contamination of indiginous Mexican maize (corn) with GMOs. The lead-up to the incident, however, is downright spooky (1). Still, Chapela was determined to publish what they found. So Monsanto employed the services of a firm called Bivings Group which used a phony e-mail campaign to persuade the prestigious science journal Nature to retract the paper, the first time in the publication´s 133 year history that it had ever retracted a paper.

For more see Monsanto's Mexican Maize Mischief.

Monsanto, Agent Orange, Dioxins & Plan Colombia
Monsanto was one of the principal companies to supply Agent Orange to the U.S. government during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is a defoliant that was used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to "clear vegetation around military bases and obliterate hiding places and rice paddies used by the Viet Cong." It is made from two herbicide compounds, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, and releases dioxin as a byproduct of the manufacturing process that becomes contained within 2,4,5-T (and in some instances in 2,4-D). Dioxin is highly carcinogenic and one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man.

The following is excerpted from The Legacy of Agent Orange.


 * "Agent Orange was manufactured by Monsanto, Dow Chemicals (manufacturers of napalm), Uniroyal, Hercules, Diamond Shamrock, Thompson Chemical and TH Agriculture. Monsanto [was] the main supplier. The Agent Orange produced by Monsanto had dioxin levels many times higher than that produced by Dow Chemicals, the other major supplier of Agent Orange to Vietnam.... Monsanto's involvement with the production of dioxin contaminated 2,4,5-T dates back to the late 1940s. 'Almost immediately workers started getting sick with skin rashes, inexplicable pains in the limbs, joints and other parts of the body, weakness, irritability, nervousness and loss of libido,' to quote Peter Sills, author of a forthcoming book on dioxins. Internal Monsanto memos show that Monsanto knew of the problems but once again a cover-up was the order of the day.... Operation Hades, later changed to Operation Ranch Hand, sprayed 6 million acres of forest in Vietnam, 19 million gallons of defoliant. The intention was to turn Vietnam into desert, to cause such destruction that Vietnam would never recover.... The most gruesome legacy caused by spraying Vietnam with dioxin contaminated Agent Orange was that born by the Vietnamese themselves. In a locked room of Tu Du Obstetrical and Gynaecological Hospital in Saigon are rows of formaldehyde-filled jars containing deformed fetuses, a grotesque illustration of Man's inhumanity to Man. The level of poverty in Vietnam prevents the preservation of further examples. Many of the living have fared little better, limb deformities, cancers."

For more see Monsanto, Agent Orange, Dioxins and Plan Colombia.

Monsanto's Legal Battles Against Farmers
Monsanto has come under public scrutiny for its role in litigation against individual farmers for patent violation claims on GE seeds. The company has sued many farmers when their GM crops have turned up in the farmer's fields even though the farmers say they never planted them (examples include Percy Schmeiser, the Nelson Farm,  Richard Thompson, etc). GE seed contamination is a legitimate concern for which Monsanto has refused to take responsibility. The very nature of plant reproduction means that pollen from crops is carried by the wind or insects to reproduce elsewhere, meaning that any crops grown near GE crops are at risk of GE contamination through cross-pollination.

According to a 2013 report by Food and Water Watch:


 * "Monsanto ensures its right to sue farmers through the company’s technology licensing agreement on every bag of GE seed. Any farmer who buys Monsanto’s seed is bound to it, either by signing a contract or simply opening the bag, and it stipulates that farmers must not save any seed (a thousands-year-old tradition) and are responsible for following all procedures included in Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide...The agreement also allows Monsanto to investigate farmers’ fields at any time, and to access farmers’ records filed with the USDA Farm Service Agency. These records tell Monsanto how many bags a farmer bought and exactly how many acres he planted the seed on, making property investigations and prosecution very easy. To make things even simpler, Monsanto set up a toll-free where neighbors and community members are encouraged to anonymously tattle on farmers that may be using Monsanto’s seeds without a license. The company fiercely defends its patent rights and stands behind the claim that it should be able to collect damages from anyone who violates them. To achieve these ends, Monsanto has hired private investigators to videotape farmers, sneak into community meetings and interview informants about local farming activities. The cases that result from the information Monsanto collects have seen the company demanding thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees from farmers who never chose to plant the company’s seeds in the first place."

For an expose of Monsanto's legal battles with American farmers see the report: Monsanto vs. U.S. Farmers.

For more see Goliath and David: Monsanto's Legal Battles against Farmers.

Monsanto and the World Food Crisis
Monsanto, ever on the lookout for a new financial opportunity, especially one which, on the surface at least, appears to be benevolent found one in biofuels. The growing of corn, in Monsanto's case, genetically engineered corn, for the production of ethanol purportedly to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Unfortunately though, as is often the case with Monsanto, this silver lining has a rather large and ominous cloud, and in the massive diversion of land once used to grow food to growing crops for the fueling of automobiles yet another crisis has ensued. In early 2010, Monsanto, along with other biotech companies and philanthropists, became involved in an ongoing project designed to develop new African drought-tolerant maize varieties. While the new seeds promise increased yields during drought years, the project (specifically Monsanto's involvement) is not without controversy.

For more see Monsanto and the World Food Crisis.

Corporate Controlled Food Supply
In early 2009, corporations like Monsanto, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Sodexo and Tyson Foods wrote and sponsored "food safety" bills which, according to critics; hand control and policing of food to factory farms and corporations. They point out that bills impose industrial, anti-farming "standards" to independent farms. Also, that they subject those who do not use chemicals and fertilizers to severe penalties, which apply even to producers growing food for their own consumption. The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009: HR 875 was introduced by Rosa DeLauro, whose husband (Stanley Greenburg) works for Monsanto. According to critics, the bill includes criminalization of seed banking, prison terms and confiscatory fines for farmers; 24 hour GPS tracking of their animals and warrentless government entry. ,

Animal Testing
Monsanto does animal testing. The company contract tests out to Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). HLS is the 3rd largest contract research organization (CRO) in the world and the largest animal testing facility in all of Europe. Firms hire HLS to conduct animal toxicity tests for agrochemicals, petrochemicals, household products, pharmaceutical drugs and toxins. HLS has a long history of gross animal welfare violations.

See also Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Misleading Advertisements
In an example of blatantly misleading consumers, Monsanto released advertisements in New York for its "Roundup" herbicide, claiming that it "biodegrades into naturally occurring elements," "will not wash or leach in the soil," and "can be used where kids and pets'll play." The company also claimed that the main ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, "is less toxic to rats than table salt" and is "practically non-toxic." The ads were brought to the then-New York Attorney General, Dennis Vacco, for using misleading information, and all of the claims were found to be false and misleading. Vacco stated that "ads cannot imply that these pesticides, which are used to kill vegetation, are risk free."

More recently, Monsanto has engaged in a media campaign "to portray the company as an agricultural hero, a friend of farmers and a savior of the global south." The company claims to be reducing chemical use, increasing yield, protecting from drought and feeding the world’s growing population. Monsanto's advertising costs for 2009-2011 totaled $279 million, which it has used to created a more sustainable image, stating goals to “protect our natural resources, fight hunger, improve nutrition and provide economic benefits to everyone involved in an improved system of agriculture.” In reality, Monsanto is not following through on these promises:


 * "Its model of agriculture brings higher costs for farmers in the United States and abroad, while Monsanto and other biotech companies reap the profits. GE crops have shown little benefit over conventional crops, as the herbicide- and pesticide-laden crops have led to weed and pest resistance, have shown small increase or no yield advantage and have not reduced agrochemical use. Further, the 2009 International Assessment of Agriculture Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development concluded that the high costs for seeds and chemicals, uncertain yields and potential to undermine local food security makes biotechnology a poor choice for the developing world."

Monsanto & Fox News: Partners in Censorship
In the fall of 1996, award-winning investigative journalists Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were hired by WTVT in Tampa, Florida to produce a series on rBGH. After over a year's work and three days before the series was scheduled to air, Fox News executives received the first of two letters from Monsanto's lawyers. According to the letters, Monsanto would suffer "enormous damage" if the series ran. The second letter warned of "dire consequences" of the series was aired as it stood. (How Monsanto knew what was in the series, remains a mystery.) WTVT had been advertising the series aggressively, but canceled it at the last moment. According to Florida Court records, Fox's lawyers then attempted to water down the series, twice offering to pay the journalists to leave the station and keep quiet about what had been done to their work. The reporters refused and filed a lawsuit against WTVT on April 2, 1998. The lawsuit charged that WTVT violated its license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), by demanding that the journalists include known falsehoods in the rBGH series. They also charged that WTVT violated Florida's whistle blower law. On three separate occasions, Fox attempted to have the case summarily dismissed. However, after a five-week trial and six hours of deliberation ending on August 18, 2000, the jury unanimously determined that Fox "acted intentionally and deliberately to falsify or distort the plaintiffs' news reporting on BGH." They also found that Jane's threat to blow the whistle on Fox to the FCC, was the sole reason for their termination. She was awarded $425,000 in damages. On February 14, 2003, after six rejections  by three different judges, Fox finally managed to win an appeal. ,

For more see Monsanto and Fox: Partners in Censorship.

Center for Consumer Freedom
Monsanto has donated to Rick Berman's front group Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF). CCF runs attack campaigns against health, food safety, animal rights and animal welfare advocates.

Lobbying and Political Contributions
2012 Monsanto Lobbying Data:

Monsanto spent $6,560,000 for lobbying in 2010. $1,030,000 was to outside lobbying firms with the remainder being spent using in-house lobbyists.

The company spent over $6.3 million in direct lobbying in 2011 and is on pace to break that number with over $1.4 million in direct lobbying in the first 3 months of 2012. The corporation focused on Roundup Ready Sugarbeats and Roundup Ready Alfalfa.

12 of its 21 (57%) lobbyists are revolving door or have worked for government at some point in their career, including Stanley Abramson who worked for the EPA, Jeremy Stump and Randall Russell who worked for the Dept of Agriculture.

Monsanto Citizenship Fund, a PAC funded through employee contributions, raised $534,888,899 for 2012 elections and spent $444,257 in the first 3 months of the year.

The company has directly supported at least 65 candidates for federal office in the 2012 elections, including thousands of dollars to the chairs and leadership of the House and Senate Ag Committee.

Monsanto gave $658,207 to federal candidates in the 2010 election cycle through its political action committee (PAC) - 48% to Democrats, 52% to Republicans.

In 2012, Monsanto spent $4.2 million financing "No On 37", a group supported by other GMO food manufacturers like DuPont, Dow, and Bayer. "No On 37" opposed California proposition 37, which would require labels on most genetically modified food products.

Notable Quotes
"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.'s job" - Philip Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

"Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety" — FDA, "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties" (GMO Policy), Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 104 (1992), p. 229

For lots more see Monsanto Notable Quotes

Petitions
Due to its political influence in the U.S. and the claims surrounding Roundup and GMOs, thousands of citizens have signed on to petitions against Monsanto.

One such petition, "Bring Down Monsanto", which is addressed to the U.S. Senate, Congress and President, has more than 10,000 signatures. The campaign claims:


 * GMO seeds have been genetically modified to produce their own pesticide, survive the spraying of Roundup and self terminate. They are also incredibly expensive compared to traditional seeds.  As a result, farmers in India were forced into total dependence on Monsanto by having to purchase new seeds annually.  Because of Monsanto's  ruthless drive to use India as a testing ground, 125,000 farmers took their own lives after being driven into a hopeless cycle of debt and losing their lands and homes.


 * GMOs, which were never adequately tested for safety, have failed catastrophically. At least 70% of our food contains genetically engineered food brought by Monsanto.  GMO is endangering our health and environment at an alarming rate.  Cross contamination is irreversible and good organic crops are being jeopardized.

Key Executives Pay

 * Hugh Grant - Chairman, CEO & President, $1.41 million
 * Robert T. Fraley, PhD - CTO& Executive VP, $602K & $2.85 million in exercised options
 * Brett D. Begemann - CCO & Executive VP, $542K
 * David F. Snively - Executive VP & General Counsel, $481K
 * Pierre Coorduroux

===Board of Directors ===


 * Hugh Grant, Chairman & CEO, Monsanto
 * Gregory Boyce, CEO & chairman Peabody Energy
 * David L. Chicoine, Ppresident of South Dakota State University
 * Janice L. Fields, former president of McDonald’s USA, LLC
 * Arthur H. Harper, managing partner of GenNx360 Capital Partners
 * Laura K. Ipsen, corporate vice president of Microsoft Corp.'s Worldwide Public Sector organization
 * Gwendolyn S. King, president of Podium Prose
 * C. Steven McMillan, retired chairman of the board and CEO of Sara Lee Corporation
 * Jon R. Moller, CFO, Procter & Gamble Company
 * William U. Parfet, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and President of MPI Research, Inc.
 * George H. Poste, CEO, Health Technology Networks
 * Robert J. Stevens, executive chairman of the board of Lockheed Martin Corporation

Contact
Monsanto 800 N. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63167

Phone: 314-694-1000

Fax: 314-694-8394

Web address: http://www.monsanto.com

SourceWatch articles

 * Biotechnology
 * Monsanto's Use of Humanitarian Projects to Open Global Markets to GMOs
 * June 12, 2003 House Hearing on Plant Biotechnology Research in Africa
 * Robert T. Fraley
 * Robert B. Horsch
 * rbGH
 * GMOs
 * Glyphosate
 * Roundup Ready Crops
 * Bt Corn
 * Bt Eggplant
 * Aspartame
 * Monsanto and Agent Orange
 * Animal testing
 * CCF funding

Case Studies

 * Monsanto's High Level Connections to the Bush Administration
 * Monsanto and the Safe Food Coalition
 * Monsanto and Burson-Marsteller Hire a Consumer Organizer
 * Fired Fox-TV Journalists Win Goldman Environmental Prize

Monsanto Subsidiaries

 * Asgrow Agronomics
 * DEKALB Genetics Corporation

External Resources

 * GM Watch, accessed January 2011

External Articles

 * "Monsanto plans $4.3M R&D lab in PR" (Puerto Rico), Caribbean Business, June 29, 2011.

Videos

 * Marie-Monique RobinThe World According to Monsanto, Mongrel Media, September, 2008 ASIN: B001BBQCMC