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Many people haven't heard of Monsanto before. But I guarantee after reading this you will remember it.

Monsanto, the chemical giant, has created some of the most toxic substances whose residues have creates the most polluted places on our earth (Barlett, 2008). With that in mind, it is scary to think they have infiltrated the worlds agriculture with genetically modified seeds and mafia like tactics.

Monsanto has produced Genetically modified soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. More are in the works including sugar beets, and alfalfa. They are also branching out with a strangle hold on the milk industry marketing artificial growth hormones that increase milk production in dairy cow. Monsanto is taking aggressive steps to put those who do not use growth hormones out of business (Barlett, 2008).

You may be asking, "What is wrong with genetically modified foods?" Several studies have shown dangerous allergens and toxins can be spread though GM foods, nutritional contents are lower in GM foods, and they can contain antibiotic resistant genes. This can make animals and people who consume this food more susceptible to antibiotic resistant bacteria (Lilliston, 1997). Hello super-bugs!

However, the worst aspect of Monsanto's newest GM is directly linked to its' pesticide round-up. They are now marketing a new 'round-up ready' seed. It is resistant to this pesticide and encourages farmers to us it generously as weed control. While this tactic makes them money hand-over fist, the potential health implications to consumers are staggering(Lilliston, 1997). Especially since we as consumers, have no way of knowing which products have been GM or treated with pesticides. The FDA and USDA is currently resisting pressure from the public to require labeling of GM products.

How much of this is really happening? Monsanto is quickly buying up conventional-seed companies.< In 2005, it bought Seminis, which controlled 40% of the U.S. lettuce, tomato, and other fruit and vegetable seed market. Two weeks later it purchased Emergent Genetics, the country's 3rd largest cotton seed company. Monsanto is estimate to control 90% of the US soybean production (Barlett, 2008). This is huge change in our farm production. Roughly 20 years ago, there were virtually no GM crops, now there are over 142 million acres in the U.S and 282 million world-wide (Barlett, 2008). This figure is growing exponentially every year.

One reason the rate of increase is so high stems from the intimidation tactics the company uses with farmers. Vanity Fair quotes several farmers describing the company's ruthless tactics as the Seed Police, the Gestapo, and the Mafia. Monsanto prohibits farmers from reusing the seed. Therefore they much repurchase seed every year. This protects Monsanto from 'infringements' on their seed patents. It also gives them a 'slick' method for intimidating and suing farmers who may or may not even use their product. They routinely use private detectives to spy on farmers. They confront them, and bully them trying to get out-of-court settlements that put farmers out of business. They threaten to take their land, homes, and business if they find even one GM seed in their fields. As most farmers know, seeds can be spread by birds, animals (like deer or bear), or casually 'planted' (pun intended) by someone with a special interest. For specific stories of this happening read the May 2008 issue of Vanity Fair, or read almost any issue of Acres USA, a magazine devoted to organic and sustainable agriculture.

If this take-over of the US and World agriculture isn't stopped, we could face global disaster. One company could control the worlds food supply. The GM foods could enable superbugs to flourish, the non GM crops could get wiped out by hardier GM crops. But, remember the catch-you can't replant a GM crop, you have to purchase seeds every year, at whatever price it happens to be. If you think that is far-fetched look at the statistics, and the company's tactics, the evidence is alarming.

Works Cited

Barlett, D. S. (2008, May). Monsanto's harvest of fear. Vanity Fair , Retrieved June 2008, from [link]

Lilliston, B. C. (1997, June). Whose Organic Standards? USDA Prepares for an "Unfriendly Takeover" of the Natural Foods Industry. Retrieved June 3rd, 2008, from Genetricaly Engineered Foods Danger: Monsanto land [link]