Behind Every Great Fortune Lies a Great Crime

Mighty Monsanto recently indicated declining profits, primarily due to prices falling for its Roundup herbicide (Monsanto invented the weed killer but its patent expired a decade ago). Since then Monsanto has been focusing on seeds. It developed genetically engineered crops to resist its own toxic product (so called "Roundup Ready" plants), that allowed farmers to spray liberally and only kill what they want to kill (never mind that the underlying chemicals, called glyphosate, have been found throughout freshwater bodies, in ground water, etc. -- with non-Monsanto sponsored studies showing that even low concentrations on glyphosate have drastic health implications for pregnant women, among others). This started with soy but has expanded to include corn, cotton and a variety of others. Many more are in development.

This is the future for Big Agra: seeds. Indeed, Monsanto has indicated taht herbicides such as Roundup no longer play a pivotal role in the company's future growth. R&D investments are now focused instead on its "seeds-trait business to develop next-generation corn, soy and wheat crops that can withstand droughts, pests and herbicides, as well as provide greater yields." Today Monsanto is the largest seed supplier in the world. But its profitability thus far and its future profitability, relies on highly questionable practices. For instance, Monsanto acquired the companies developing seeds with gene use restriction technology -- the "terminator gene". These are seeds that are genetically modified so that any seeds in the crops are sterile. Great news for the world's largest seed company as a farmer would then be required to buy seeds every year. Luckily, outrage from farmers and some third-world governments have thus far kept terminator seeds from being sold, and India and Brazil have banned the technology. However, a company like Monsanto is perfect poised to get them adopted in countries throughout the world. Never mind the risk of cross-pollination with non-terminator plants (resulting in further sterilized seeds), the risk of starvation as farmers and families in third-world countries can no longer be self-sufficient, and so on.

The sad thing is that the U.S. government was essentially responsible for the development of this technology. Monsanto is in bed with the U.S. government more so than any other company. It now controls the technology. It is the largest seed manufacturer and distributor in the world. And it needs new ways to remain highly profitable. This is something we as a society need to continue monitoring to ensure that it remains in the lab.