Monsanto has been painted as a big bad villain who has a global monopoly in agriculture; edging out small producers, poisoning us all with chemical laced, genetically modified produce and bringing ruin to people at large with its business practices. Local communities as well as human rights activists in many countries all over the world have agitated against the company.
Headquartered in Missouri, United States, Monsanto is an agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation and the world's leading producer of genetically modified seeds and gylphosate based herbicides.
This is a grassroots movement against Monsanto spanning several countries. Lakhs have participated in the marches that “say No to GMO”.
As far back as 2005, Monsanto had faced resistance from people as well as government agencies when the Andhra Pradesh government had barred Monsanto from selling its Bt cotton varieties. The seeds had failed and the company had failed to pay compensation to farmers. Monsanto was also denied permission to carry out crop trials for two more varieties of Bt cotton.
Studies have found that genetically modified Bt cotton is risky for small Indian farmers, particular those who are dependent upon rain for irrigation. American researchers found that annual suicide rates seemed linked to Bt cotton adoption by Indian farmers.
There are other charges leveled against Monsanto – that Monsanto is illegally testing seeds in Indian farmers' fields in contravention of tribunal directions and that the company is creating a monopoly and trapping Indian farmers in debt. It is also alleged that Monsanto is contravening Indian patent law.
The New York Times published a report that accuses Monsanto of trying to manipulate research as well as the media and its reporting. Research is funded by the company with the specific purpose of deriving certain results and email communications seem to indicate Monsanto's influence over the research; including stopping studies that reflect poorly on the company. According to some reports, there is a link between non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the Monsanto’s herbicide; that the company is colluding to repress research regarding this.
Monsanto is now merging with international pharmaceutical company Bayer. Opponents claim that this association is a ploy to cloak its activities in respectability and thereby fooling the public.
Earlier, the Indian government had indicated that if Monsanto wanted to leave India, it was welcome to do so. However, later reports seem to suggest that some in the government appear to be yielding to pressure from Monsanto/Bayer, to introduce genetically modified mustard which could be hazardous to India. As for the impact on farmers; that appears to be another disaster waiting to happen, it would seem.
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