6. Monsanto’s Mission
“Sustainable agriculture is at the core of Monsanto. We are committed
to developing the technologies that enable farmers to produce more
crops while conserving more of the natural resources that are essential
to their success. Producing more. Conserving more. Improving lives.
That’s sustainable agriculture. And that’s what Monsanto is all about.”
9. GMO Health Risks
● Potential allergenic food transfers
● Creation of new allergen
● Antibiotic resistance
● Possible links to cancer and disease
● No long term studies to prove or disapprove
10. What if all the “what ifs” are true?
How would we stop the products that
have flooded global markets?
11. GMO Market
● ⅔ of global market for seeds
● ¾ of agro-chemical market
● 100% of GMO seed market
12. Golden Rice
● Produces beta-
carotene (vitamin A)
● Licensed royalty-free
to Southeast Asia
13. Golden Rice- Economics
● Regional reliance on Golden Rice +
Monsanto
● Macro implications: disruption of existing
rice markets
● Competes with local agriculture
14. Golden Rice- Environment
● Increased incidence of weeds
● Transgene intrusion on surrounding plants
● Insufficient testing of impact on nature
15. Golden Rice- Health + Government
● Beta-carotene levels too low
● Alternative nutrients are cheaper and do
not have the same impacts
● Little to no government regulation
16. Roundup Spray
● Powerful herbicide
invented by Monsanto in
1970; patent until 2000
● Largest producer of
glyphosate in US
17. Roundup- Economics
● Roundup + Roundup-Ready seeds
● Increased crop yields and decreased labor
● Takes business away from local herbicide
providers
18. Roundup- Environment
● Binds to soil; breaks down slowly
● Shown to damage environment: Paraguay
● More studies needed in the future
19. Roundup- Health + Government
● Found not to be carcinogenic by EPA
● Kills insects, worms and bacteria; could be dangerous
for humans as well
● Legal in most countries
● Little regulation; but warning labels required
20. Corn Seeds (Bt Corn)
● Banned in Europe and China
● Vietnam has embraced the crop
● Built-in insect pest control
21. Bt Corn Environmental Risks
● Pests will build up resistance to toxin
● Gene flow into other species
● Negative impact on Monarch Butterfly
● Affects aquatic plant wildlife through runoff
● No long term studies
23. Bt Corn in Vietnam
● High demand for hog feed
● Corn imports quadrupled in 3 years
● Gov’t has approved 4 varieties
● Mostly GMO production by 2016
● Controversial due to the past
24. Bt Cotton Seeds in India
● In 2002 began selling Bt cotton seeds
● Built-in insecticide → Higher yields
● 10x more expensive than regular seeds
● Decreased pesticide usage by 40%
● Debt is a possible contributor to suicides
25. Bt Cotton Seeds in India
● Banned by 2 states
● Rs 10 crore vs Rs 230
● Misleading literature
● Farmers against crops
26. Indian Bt Cotton Video Clip
Documentary: “The World According to Monsanto” 10-minute clip beginning here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_DbVdVo-k&feature=player_detailpage#t=4446
27. Bt Cotton Seeds in Pakistan
● Increase in yield and higher net revenues
PKR 53,249 (US$ 626)
vs
PKR 41,833 (US$ 492)
● 85% of land grows Bt cotton
● High demand → Low supply
28. ● Resistance of bollworm increased
● Increase of secondary pests
● Unstable insect ecology
● Increase irrigation water use
● Genetic pollution
● Possible land fertility effects
Bt Cotton Seeds Environmental Impacts
29. Long Term Impacts vs. Short Term
● Many unknown
● Dependency on supplier
● Higher resistance
● Unlimited gene flow
● Higher yields
● Higher revenue
● Less pesticide costs
● Higher seed prices
30. Why is it so hard to research
environmental and health risks?
President George H.W Bush’s proclamation in 1992
31. Does Monsanto have too much power?
Monsanto Protection Act of 2013
● Bars federal courts from halting sale or
planting of GMOs
● Sets a precedent
● Signed by President Obama
32. What do you think?
● Does Monsanto achieve their goal of
providing sustainable agricultural solutions?
● Do you think the benefits outweigh the
unknown?
● Is it better to feed millions today and worry
about the impacts later?
