Investigate Monsanto!

[Triana]

Massive seed corporation Monsanto -- through acquisitions and cut-throat
business practices has cornered 90% of the soy, 65% of the corn, and 70%
of the cotton market, and has a rapidly growing presence in the fruit and
vegetable market, all without government anti-trust officials raising an
eyebrow.

Not only that, but in order to grow to maturity, the entire line of
Monsanto's seeds all but require the use of Roundup herbicide, trapping
all of their customers into buying it. And who owns Roundup? You guessed
it, Monsanto.

There is no question, Monsanto has become a monopoly.

I just sent a message to President Obama's antitrust chief Christine
Varney, asking her to investigate Monsanto and its abusive business
practices. I hope you will, too. Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/monsanto_monopoly/?r_by=5811-328532-2hK2Ajx&rc=paste1

[SPedigrees]

1. This is like the tobacco industry but with a significant difference.

It took years and years for the government to finally amass enough scientific evidence to prove that tobacco is harmful to health, and defeat the powerful tobacco lobby. It will take a similar length of time to prove definitively that HFCS is poison.

The difference is this: back in the 50s and 60s one was free to avoid the ill effects of tobacco. You wanted to keep nicotine out of your lungs, you didn't buy cigarettes. Now try to avoid high fructose corn syrup. It is in every can of tomato soup, every loaf of bread. Our food supply is poisoned with it.

The evidence against HFCS is circumstantial, but compelling. Up until the 1980s foods were sweetened with sugar (sucrose.) Enter the 1980s and the infusion of HFCS into every product that formerly contained sucrose or no sweetener, and behold the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that began at this point.

[Triana]

12. So - what should we do? Just be silent? n/t

[SPedigrees]

14. I wish I had an answer.

My strategy is to vote against HFCS and to reward manufacturers of organic and other products that don't contain it, at the supermarket checkout. Actually it's primarily a strategy to preserve my health.

I have such a contempt for the GM corn industry that I select alternatives whenever I can. I use tapioca flour in place of corn starch for instance while baking.

Wish I had a better solution.

[marmar]

2. Corporate Death Penalty for Monsanto.......

How much death and misery is this company responsible for?

[KT2000]

3. thanks for posting this

I don't use the word evil very often but that is what monsanto really is.

[Triana]

13. the quintessential psychopathic corporation n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Hmm

"the entire line of Monsanto's seeds all but require the use of Roundup herbicide, trapping all of their customers into buying it. And who owns Roundup?"

Well, it requires glyphosate. But there are generic supplies of glyphosate. In fact I believe they're beginning to divest themselves from the glyphosate market due in part to cheap glyphosate coming out of china.

[One Voice]

5. Thank you

and signed :toast:

[sabrina 1]

6. Monsanto controls much of the world's food supply

now. African, Indian and S. American farmers have repeatedly objected to their interference with food production in their various countries.

Mexico banned the use of Monsanto's products in their country, attempting to protect their corn from Monsanto. But, it's another topic, Monsanto never takes no for an answer, and Mexican farmers suspect that their corn has been contaminated by subversive means by Monsanto's thugs.

As for the WH going after them, I hope they do. But according to this article originally posted in 'Food First' Monsanto has already anticipated that possibility and are ahead of the game:

http://www.counterpunch.org/kenfield08142009.html

Monsanto's Man in the Obama Administration

Michael R. Taylor’s appointment by the Obama administration to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 7th sparked immediate debate and even outrage among many food and agriculture researchers, NGOs and activists. The Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto Corp. from 1998 until 2001, Taylor exemplifies the revolving door between the food industry and the government agencies that regulate it. He is reviled for shaping and implementing the government’s favorable agricultural biotechnology policies during the Clinton administration.

Yet what has slipped under everyone’s radar screen is Taylor’s involvement in setting U.S. policy on agricultural assistance in Africa. In collusion with the Rockefeller and Bill and Melinda Gates foundations, Taylor is once again the go-between man for Monsanto and the U.S. government, this time with the goal to open up African markets for genetically-modified (GM) seed and agrochemicals.

In the late 70s, Taylor was an attorney for the United States Department of Agriculture, then in the 80s, a private lawyer at the D.C. law firm King & Spalding, where he represented Monsanto. When Taylor returned to government as Deputy Commissioner for Policy for the FDA from 1991 to 1994, the agency approved the use of Monsanto’s GM growth hormone for dairy cows (now found in most U.S. milk) without labeling. His role in these decisions led to a federal investigation, though eventually he was exonerated of all conflict-of-interest charges.

Since Monsanto's infiltration of India's food production markets, small farmers have been put out of business, causing a high rate of suicides among them.

This is one soul-less, evil Global Corporation and the evidence is everywhere. Their Mafia-like tactics against small farmers are taking place right here in the US now, not just in third world countries.

I hope they are investigated, their crimes against humanity require it. But I would be surprised if it happens.

[PM Martin]

9. I agree with the above poster.

Monsanto needs to suffer the corporate death penalty.
We will just have to absorb the costs of those who will lose their jobs.

[sabrina 1]

16. Yes, better to lose your job than your life.

By some accounts, Monsanto has caused the deaths of untold numbers of people.

And jobs that are beneficial to the planet could be created.

[PM Martin]

17. True.

[Triana]

10. I remember reading that and being absolutely disgusted - still . . .

. . .they gotta hear it from me
they gotta hear it from you
they gotta hear it from us
we can't take it
we've already had enough.

They STILL need to hear from us. . .

[SlipperySlope]

7. You are just plain wrong on part of this...

Not only that, but in order to grow to maturity, the entire line of Monsanto's seeds all but require the use of Roundup herbicide, trapping all of their customers into buying it. And who owns Roundup? You guessed it, Monsanto.

"Roundup Ready" crops do not require the application of Roundup to grow to maturity. What distinguishes Roundup Ready crops is that they are resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Roundup herbicide. I suppose a farmer could technically choose to purchase Roundup Ready seed and then not spray glyphosate for weed control, but that would be a silly decision. If you aren't going to spray glyposate, why buy glyphosate resistant seed?

The contract farmers sign with Monsanto in order to purchase Roundup Ready seed does not require the farmers to use glyphosate at all, nor does it require farmers to use Monsanto's brand of glyphosate (Roundup).

The contract does require that if farmers choose to use non-Monsanto brands of glyphosate, those brands have been federally approved for use in glyphosate resistant crops.

Monsanto makes their big money on their patents on the seed. Roundup is off patent, and Monsanto long ago stopped trying to tie use of their seed to use of their herbicide.

Edit:
One thing Monsanto does do to encourage use of their brand of herbicides is offer a program called "Roundup Rewards". It is a set of guarantees where Monsanto will reimburse the farmer for certain things, but only if the farmer exclusively uses their seed and herbicides. Examples of things they will reimburse are if your seeds are lost by fire or theft, crop failure due to herbicide, assistance with control of volunteer crops, etc.

[Triana]

11. I didn't write it - CREDO did - but thanks - they STILL need to suffer a..

....corporate death, regardless.

[SlipperySlope]

15. Not disagreeing on that part...

Was just clearing up what I thought were factual errors.

[arcane1]

8. Agreed, just don't expect any help from the Dep't of Agriculture

it's Monsanto-owned :(