Confused about Monsanto

[slormand]

I can't hear the name Monsanto without wanting to go downstairs and have a few moments with my punching bag.

My Dad was a Vietnam vet--sprayed with Agent Orange, dead from cancer at 49, thanks Monsanto.

Also, this
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html?WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-ROT-050410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

[applestar]

FYI... China exports more generic 41% Glyphosate than Monsanto sells in country

Oh, great. Now I'm concerned about what's in the other 59%.

[tomf]

Some years back I read that Monsanto had sued some farmers whose fields were near fields of GM corn for stealing there modified corn. What was going on is that the pollen from the GM fields drifted in to the non GM fields and the resultant corn had the modified genes in them. Monsanto won the case. I could not belief the verdict. If any thing the local farmers should be able to sue Monsanto for contaminating their crops.

Monstersanto should be their name.

[tomf]

FYI... China exports more generic 41% Glyphosate than Monsanto sells in country

Oh, great. Now I'm concerned about what's in the other 59%.

China can not even make milk with out cheating and putting posion in to it.

[gixxerific]

Oh and the Roundup resistant corn is suppose to cut down on spraying's. But Monsanto sells the farmer the corn while making him sign a contract not to save seed or they will sue you into bankruptcy (yes it happens). Than they sell you the pesticide to spray the corn. Oh yeah they also get a percentage of sales on the corn as well since they own the patent on the corn seed. They are making money hand over fist. And moving into many other variety's of vegetable they are trying to take over the world.

He who rules the food rules the world. That is more powerful than any bomb.

FYI... China exports more generic 41% Glyphosate than Monsanto sells in country... I can honestly say I don't know a single farmer that uses name brand Round-Up... I know A LOT of farmers... Most operate on well over 1000 acres... Monsanto does offer some form of replant or rebate deal if you use name brand Round-Up and it doesn't give satisfactory results... But the price difference between brand name and generic is almost 4:1

Yes when you decide to use Monsanto genetics you sign a contract and pay a technology fee... You are not allowed to reuse saved seed... In this case it would only work in Soybeans... Growing a hybrid corn of course results in an offspring that is not the same as it's parent and if you don't have 2 different parents then it's more or less like inbreeding and you have no idea what you are going to end up with come October...

Monsanto DOES NOT receive a portion of your sales...

Yes they take patent / contract infringement very seriously... Not to say there aren't stories out there of individuals who have been affected by wind drift in say Canola that have been in litigation for decades...

Watch the movie the farmers in there tell a different story! It is patented, they get royalties.

From Tomf

Some years back I read that Monsanto had sued some farmers whose fields were near fields of GM corn for stealing there modified corn. What was going on is that the pollen from the GM fields drifted in to the non GM fields and the resultant corn had the modified genes in them. Monsanto won the case. I could not belief the verdict. If any thing the local farmers should be able to sue Monsanto for contaminating their crops.

Exactly!

[DoubleDogFarm]

rootsy,

None of the seed you buy in the store in packets is anything but a traditional hybrid (the offspring of 2 open pollinated or hybrid parents).

This statement is not actually true. You can buy Open Pollinated seed. My garden is 100% Open Pollinated-Organic seed. You are correct, they are not GMO's.

[tomf]

I can't hear the name Monsanto without wanting to go downstairs and have a few moments with my punching bag.

My Dad was a Vietnam vet--sprayed with Agent Orange, dead from cancer at 49, thanks Monsanto.

Also, this
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html?WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-ROT-050410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

This is sad, I am sorry for your loss.

[rootsy]

Oh and the Roundup resistant corn is suppose to cut down on spraying's. But Monsanto sells the farmer the corn while making him sign a contract not to save seed or they will sue you into bankruptcy (yes it happens). Than they sell you the pesticide to spray the corn. Oh yeah they also get a percentage of sales on the corn as well since they own the patent on the corn seed. They are making money hand over fist. And moving into many other variety's of vegetable they are trying to take over the world.

He who rules the food rules the world. That is more powerful than any bomb.

FYI... China exports more generic 41% Glyphosate than Monsanto sells in country... I can honestly say I don't know a single farmer that uses name brand Round-Up... I know A LOT of farmers... Most operate on well over 1000 acres... Monsanto does offer some form of replant or rebate deal if you use name brand Round-Up and it doesn't give satisfactory results... But the price difference between brand name and generic is almost 4:1

Yes when you decide to use Monsanto genetics you sign a contract and pay a technology fee... You are not allowed to reuse saved seed... In this case it would only work in Soybeans... Growing a hybrid corn of course results in an offspring that is not the same as it's parent and if you don't have 2 different parents then it's more or less like inbreeding and you have no idea what you are going to end up with come October...

Monsanto DOES NOT receive a portion of your sales...

Yes they take patent / contract infringement very seriously... Not to say there aren't stories out there of individuals who have been affected by wind drift in say Canola that have been in litigation for decades...

Watch the movie the farmers in there tell a different story! It is patented, they get royalties.

From Tomf

Some years back I read that Monsanto had sued some farmers whose fields were near fields of GM corn for stealing there modified corn. What was going on is that the pollen from the GM fields drifted in to the non GM fields and the resultant corn had the modified genes in them. Monsanto won the case. I could not belief the verdict. If any thing the local farmers should be able to sue Monsanto for contaminating their crops.

Exactly!

Don't believe everything anyone tells you. I have farmed or been around farming since the day I was born 36 1/2 years ago. I have personally signed Monsanto's seed agreement and paid their technology fee... I have put seed in the ground with their genetics... I have harvested and sold the crop. At no time have I ever had to pay "royalties" to anyone...

I fully understood what I was signing and my responsibility in doing so.

If people don't want to use the genetics then there are non GMO products they can grow. In the end it boils down to net profit... A farm is a business first and foremost and a business exists to make money for the shareholders and provide steady employment for employees...

BTW I am in no way defending Monsanto and some of their practices... Just trying to set straight some of the inaccurate information with regard to using their products.

The other 59% of the glyphosate mixture... who knows... a carrier for the active ingredient is present and H2O and?

[slormand]

I can't hear the name Monsanto without wanting to go downstairs and have a few moments with my punching bag.

My Dad was a Vietnam vet--sprayed with Agent Orange, dead from cancer at 49, thanks Monsanto.

Also, this
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html?WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-ROT-050410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

This is sad, I am sorry for your loss.

Thanks. It has definitely fulled my organic gardening practices.

The bottom line is that no corporation should have the right to patent life.

[DoubleDogFarm]

If people don't want to use the genetics then there are non GMO products they can grow. In the end it boils down to net profit... A farm is a business first and foremost and a business exists to make money for the shareholders and provide steady employment for employees...

and I ask, at what cost

[rootsy]

I can't hear the name Monsanto without wanting to go downstairs and have a few moments with my punching bag.

My Dad was a Vietnam vet--sprayed with Agent Orange, dead from cancer at 49, thanks Monsanto.

Also, this
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html?WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-ROT-050410-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

This is sad, I am sorry for your loss.

Thanks. It has definitely fulled my organic gardening practices.

The bottom line is that no corporation should have the right to patent life.

Life isn't patented... The genetic modifications within the seed are patented. Right or wrong is subjective. I don't "like" it. Something is amiss in my guts with the thought of it... I no longer grow row crops and therefore do not use GMO products of any type...

The herbicide resistance it isn't naturally occurring and is a man made modification. Just like the pharmacutical industry there are a lot of resources and capital tied up in the development, proofing and marketing that the company wishes to recoup + profit before the patent runs out and competitor companies begin using the technology.

Monsanto's tactics with patent protection leave something to be desired. But you will never know the entire story.. their side, the defendant's side and the truth as just about all settled civil suits have a non disclosure agreement about the settlement and findings.

The biggest problem with agriculture today is that the profit to cost ratio is so close that profit / acre is very dilute and farmers have to operate on ever increasing acreage in order to make adequate profit / acre in order to support their families as well as have capital available to re-invest into the farm... But such is the demand of the world.. Cheap food... Cheap fuel...

Thus whenever a product or technology comes along that increases profit / acre a wise business man is going to jump on it... Such is the case with GMO products... With the size of farms today, mechanical cultivation and use of multiple chemicals is both time and cost prohibitive... Ag today is nothing like Ag of the early to mid 20th century... Family farms today are businesses with million dollar + yearly operating budgets... One piece of equipment often costs more than the average home...

Small hobby farmers and gardeners are the ones farming like it is 1940... The shear mass of a fully operational family farm running 200 + cows and 1000 acres of land is not understood by most. It's a business no different than your local supermarket or machine shop... Except that it is more labor intensive...

The fact that there are companies genetically modifying plants for certain resistances and so forth is an issue... Especially if credible, 3rd party studies and research can show without a doubt that such products are harmful to use as food... Or that the chemicals used are hazardous to people. But until then as long as there is a benefit people are going to use those products to work smarter not harder.

[DoubleDogFarm]

One day there will be a big revolution, revelation, ( not in the biblical form),maybe it has already started.

I hope people are making educated choices.

Here is a short list of mine.

No GMO's
No Chemical fertilizers
No Exxon
No Walmart
No Kraft Foods
Trying to stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup and Artificial Sweetners.

[tomf]

Just a joke.

My corn ate my dog.

I do not know if we could feed the word with just organic food, lots of people to be feed so may be it has it's place. I feel lucky to be able to chose the food I eat and to grow my own food.