Monsanto
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226090115
2008-07-16T19:55:18Z
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{{POV-check|date=June 2008}}
{{otheruses4|a corporation|the Portuguese Freguesia|Monsanto (Idanha-a-Nova)}}
{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = Monsanto Company |
company_logo = [[Image:Monsanto logo.svg|250px]] |
company_type = [[Agriculture]]/[[Public company|Public]] ({{nyse|MON}}) |
foundation = [[St. Louis, Missouri]] (1901) |
location = {{flagicon|Missouri}} [[St. Louis, Missouri]],{{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] |
key_people = [[John Francis Queeny]] (1859–1933), Founder<br />Hugh Grant, Chairman, President, & CEO<br />[[Terrell K. Crews]], [[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]]<br />[[Robb Fraley]], [[Chief Technology Officer]]<br />|
industry = Agriculture |
num_employees = 18,800 (Feb, 2008) |
products = [[Herbicide]]s, [[pesticide]]s, [[Seed|crop seeds]], rBST |
revenue = {{profit}}$8.563 billion [[United states dollar|USD]] (2007)|
net_income = {{profit}}$993 million [[United states dollar|USD]] (2007)|
homepage = [http://www.monsanto.com www.monsanto.com]}}
The '''Monsanto Company''' ({{nyse|MON}}) is a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[agricultural biotechnology]] [[corporation]]. It is the world's leading producer of the [[herbicide]] [[glyphosate]], marketed as "[[Roundup]]". Monsanto is also by far the leading producer of [[genetic engineering|genetically engineered]] (GE) [[seed]], holding 70%–100% market share for various [[agriculture|crops]]. [[Agracetus]], owned by Monsanto, exclusively produces ''Roundup Ready'' soybean seed for the commercial market. In March 2005, it finalized the purchase of [[Seminis Inc]], making it also the largest conventional seed company in the world. It has over 18,800 [[employee]]s worldwide, and an annual [[revenue]] of [[United States dollar|USD]]$8.563 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] reported for 2007.<ref>"Google Finance: [http://finance.google.com/finance?q=MON Monsanto Company]. Retrieved on [[June 19]], [[2008]].</ref>
Monsanto's development and marketing of [[Genetic engineering|genetically engineered]] [[seed]] and [[Bovine somatotropin|bovine growth hormone]], as well as its aggressive litigation and political [[lobbying]] practices, have made the company controversial around the world and a primary target of the [[anti-globalization movement]] and [[environmental activist]]s.
== History of Monsanto ==
{{farming}}
Monsanto was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1901, by [[John Francis Queeny]], a 30-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. He funded the start-up with his own money and capital from a [[soft drink]] distributor, and gave the company his wife's maiden name. The company's first product was the [[artificial sweetener]] [[saccharin]], which it sold to the [[Coca-Cola Company]]. It also introduced [[caffeine]] and [[vanillin]] to Coca-Cola, and became one of that company's main suppliers.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} In 1919, Monsanto established its presence in [[Europe]] by entering into a partnership with Graesser's Chemical Works at [[Cefn Mawr]] in [[Ruabon]], [[Wales]] to produce [[vanillin]], [[salicylic acid]], [[aspirin]] and later [[rubber]].
In its second decade, the 1920s, Monsanto expanded into basic industrial chemicals like [[sulfuric acid]], and the decade ended with Queeny's son Edgar Monsanto Queeny taking over the company in 1928.
The 1940s saw Monsanto become a leading manufacturer of [[plastics]], including [[polystyrene]], and [[synthetic fibers]]. Since then, it has remained one of the top 10 US chemical companies. Other major products have included the herbicides 2,4,5-T and [[Agent Orange]], [[aspartame]] ([[NutraSweet]]), bovine [[somatotropin]] ([[Bovine Somatotropin|bovine growth hormone; BST]]), and [[PCBs]]<ref name="washingtonpost"/>.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Also in this decade, Monsanto operated the [[Dayton Project]], and later [[Mound Laboratory]] in Miamisburg, Ohio, for the [[Manhattan Project]], the development of the first [[nuclear weapons]] and, after 1947, the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]]. In 1947, an accidental explosion of [[ammonium nitrate]] fertilizer loaded on the [[France|French]] [[ship]] ''S.S. Grandcamp'' destroyed an adjacent Monsanto [[styrene]] manufacturing plant, along with much of the port at [[Galveston Bay]]. The explosion, known as the [[Texas City Disaster]], is considered the largest [[industrial accident]] in US history, with the highest death toll. As the decade ended, Monsanto acquired American Viscose from England's Courtauld family in 1949.
In 1954, Monsanto partnered with German chemical giant [[Bayer]] to form [[Mobay]] and market [[polyurethane]]s in the US. In the 1960s and 1970s, Monsanto became the leading producer of [[Agent Orange]] for US Military operations in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
In 1980, Monsanto established the ''Edgar Monsanto Queeny'' safety award{{Fact|date=April 2007}} in honor of its former CEO (1928–1960), to encourage accident prevention.
Monsanto scientists became the first to [[genetic modification|genetically modify]] a plant cell in 1982.<ref>Monsanto. Company History. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monsanto&action=edit§ion=39</ref> Five years later, Monsanto conducted the first field tests of genetically engineered crops.
Through a process of mergers and spin-offs between 1997 and 2002, Monsanto has made a transition from chemical giant to biotech giant. Part of this process involved the 1999 sale by Monsanto of their [[phenylalanine]] facilities to [[Great Lakes Chemical Corporation]] (GLC) for $125 million. In 2000, GLC sued Monsanto because of a $71 million dollar shortfall in expected sales.
With the dawn of the new millennium in 2001, retired Monsanto chemist [[William S. Knowles]] was named a co-winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] for his research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation, which was carried out at Monsanto beginning in the 1960s until his 1986 retirement.
Throughout 2004 and 2005, Monsanto filed lawsuits against many farmers in Canada and the U.S. The lawsuits have been on the grounds of [[patent law|patent infringement]], specifically the farmer's sale of seed containing Monsanto's patented genes–which require the farmer initial purchase of the seed and its technology–unknowingly sown by wind carrying the seeds from neighboring crops. These instances began in the mid to late 1990s, with one of the most significant cases being decided in Monsanto's favor by the [[Canadian Supreme Court]]. By a 5-4 vote in late May of 2004, that court ruled that "by cultivating a plant containing the patented gene and composed of the patented cells without license, the appellants ([[canola]] farmer [[Percy Schmeiser]]) deprived the respondents of the full enjoyment of the monopoly." With this ruling, the Canadian courts followed the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision on patent issues involving plants and genes.
As of February of 2005, Monsanto has patent claims on breeding techniques for pigs which would grant them ownership of any pigs born of such techniques and their related herds. [[Greenpeace]] claims Monsanto is trying to claim ownership on ordinary breeding techniques.<ref>[[Greenpeace]], [[2 August]] 2005, [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto-pig-patent-111 "Monsanto files patent for new invention: the pig"]</ref> Monsanto claims that the patent is a defensive measure to track animals from its system. They furthermore claim their patented method uses a specialized insemination device that requires less sperm than is typical.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stephanie Condron |title=GM crop giant wants to patent a super-pig |date=[[2005-08-11]] |publisher=[[Daily Mail]] (London) |page=18}}</ref>
In 2006, the Public Patent Foundation filed requests with the [[U.S. Patent Office]] to revoke four patents that Monsanto has used in patent lawsuits against farmers. In the first round of reexamination, claims in all four patents were rejected by the Patent Office in four separate rulings dating from February through July 2007.<ref>[http://www.pubpat.org/monsantovfarmers.htm "Monsanto Anti-Farmers Patents—Related Documents"] from [[Public Patent Foundation]]</ref> Monsanto has since filed responses in the reexaminations.
=== Spin-offs and mergers ===
Through a confusing series of transactions, the Monsanto that existed from 1901–2000 and the current Monsanto are legally two different corporations. Although they share the same name, corporate headquarters, many of the same executives and other employees, and responsibility for liabilities arising out of its former activities in the industrial chemical business, the agricultural chemicals business is the only segment carried forward from the pre-1997 Monsanto Company to the current Monsanto Company. A timeline follows:
1985: Monsanto purchases [[G. D. Searle & Company]]. In this merger, Searle's aspartame business became a separate Monsanto subsidiary, the NutraSweet Company.
1997: Monsanto spins off its industrial chemical and fiber divisions into [[Solutia Inc|Solutia]]. This transfers the financial liability related to the production and contamination with [[polychlorinated biphenyls|PCBs]] at the Illinois and Alabama plants. In January, Monsanto announced the purchase of Holden's Foundations Seeds, a privately-held seed business owned by the Holden family along with its sister sales organization, Corn States Hybrid Service, of Williamsburg and Des Moines, Iowa, respectively. The combined purchase price totaled $925M. Also, in April, Monsanto purchases the remaining shares of Calgene.
1999: Monsanto sells Nutrasweet Co. and two other companies.
2000: Monsanto merges with [[Pharmacia]] and [[Upjohn]]. Later in the year, Pharmacia forms a new subsidiary, also named Monsanto, for the agricultural divisions, and retains the medical research divisions, which includes products such as [[Celecoxib|Celebrex]].
2002: Pharmacia spins off its remaining interest in Monsanto, which has since existed as a separate company: the "new Monsanto." As part of the deal, Monsanto agrees to indemnify Pharmacia against any liabilities that might be incurred from judgments against Solutia. As a result, the new Monsanto continues to be a party to numerous lawsuits that relate to operations of the old Monsanto.
2005: Monsanto purchases Seminis, the largest seed company not producing corn or soybeans in the world.
2008: Monsanto purchases the Dutch seed company [[De Ruiter Seeds]] for about 855 million dollars.
=== Sponsorships ===
Monsanto has been the corporate sponsor of many attractions at [[Disneyland]] and [[Walt Disney World]].
At Disneyland they include:
* Hall of Chemistry
* Fashions and Fabrics through the Years
* House of The Future
* Adventure Thru Innerspace
And at Walt Disney World they included:
* Magic Eye Theatre
* Circle Vision 360
All attractions that the company has ever sponsored were located in [[Tomorrowland]]..
Monsanto has also been one of many sponsors behind [[Svalbard Global Seed Vault]].
==Corporate governance==
Current members of the [[board of directors]] of Monsanto are: [[Frank AtLee|Frank V. AtLee III]], [[John Bachmann (businessman)|John W. Bachmann]], [[Hugh Grant (businessman)|Hugh Grant]], [[Arthur H. Harper]], [[Gwendolyn King|Gwendolyn S. King]], [[Sharon Long|Sharon R. Long]], [[C. Steven McMillan]], [[William Parfet|William U. Parfet]], [[George Poste|George H. Poste]], [[Robert Stevens (businessman)|Robert J. Stevens]].
Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in [[US]] government agencies such as the [[FDA]] and [[EPA]] and even the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]. These include [[Clarence Thomas]], Michael Taylor, [[Ann Veneman]] and Linda Fisher.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} [[Linda Fisher]] has even been back and forth between positions at Monsanto and the [[EPA]].
[[Donald Rumsfeld]] reportedly earned $12 million from increased stock value when [[G. D. Searle & Company]] was sold to Monsanto in 1985.<ref>{{cite news|author=Mark Mazzetti; Richard J. Newman; Kenneth T. Walsh; Kevin Whitelaw; Jeff Glasser |title=Rumsfeld Way |date=[[2001-12-17]] |publisher=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |page=20}}</ref>
==Environmental and health record==
Monsanto has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as being a "potentially responsible party" for 56 contaminated sites ([[Superfund]] sites) in the United States.<ref>[http://www.publicintegrity.org/Superfund/report.aspx?aid=854 Wasting Away: Superfund's Shell Game] from [[Center for Public Integrity|The Center for Public Integrity]]</ref> Monsanto has been sued, and has settled, multiple times for damaging the health of its employees or residents near its Superfund sites through pollution and poisoning.<ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54914-2002Feb22?language=printer |title=Monsanto Held Liable For PCB Dumping}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://consumerlawpage.com/article/truelies.shtml |title=The Politics Behind the Scientific Debate on Dioxin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chemicalindustryarchives.org/dirtysecrets/annistonindepth/toxicity.asp |title=MONSANTO KNEW ABOUT PCB TOXICITY FOR DECADES}}</ref> In 2004 The Wildlife Habitat Council, (which has incidentally also given awards to nuclear power companies, waste management companies, steel manufacturers, and oil companies), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Performance Track presented a special certificate of recognition to Monsanto Company during WHC's 16th Annual Symposium.
Monsanto is the largest producer of glyphosate [[herbicides]] through its popular brand, [[Roundup]]. Roundup has been a source of ongoing controversy, as researches in several studies have argued leads to the first stages of and/or causes [[cancer]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma-Pesticides.htm |title=A case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and exposure to pesticides}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.organicconsumers.org/Monsanto/glyphocancer.cfm |title=New Study Links Monsanto's Roundup to Cancer}}</ref> while a review of the toxicity of roundup concluded that "under present and expected conditions of new use, there is no potential for Roundup herbicide to pose a health risk to humans".<ref name="wkc00">{{cite journal | author=GM Williams, R Kroes, JC Munro | title=Safety evaluation and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans | journal=Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology | year=2000 | volume=31-N2 | pages=117–165}} PMID 10854122.</ref>.
Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications explained the company's regulatory philosophy to [[Michael Pollan]] in 1998:
{{cquote|Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is [[FDA]]'s job.<ref>{{cite news| title=Playing God in the Garden |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFD8143DF936A15753C1A96E958260 | author=[[Michael Pollan]] | date=[[1998-10-25]] | publisher=''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'' | page=Section 6; Page 44}} </ref>}}
=== MON863 liver and kidney toxicity ===
Maize [[MON863]] genetically engineered and approved for human consumption in Europe was shown to increase triglycerides in female rats by 20-40%, caused increased weight gain in female rats of 3.7%, a decrease in male rat weight of 3.3%, and increased certain indicators associated with liver and kidney toxicity. The study was conducted by Seralini, Cellier and Spiroux de Vendomois who reanalyzed Monsanto's own data. Monsanto's 90 day in-house food safety trial on rats was the only study conducted on the crop prior to approval for human consumption. Monsanto claimed that there were no significant differences between rats that ate GM maize MON863 and the control maize. Interestingly Monsanto tried to block access to the data from the scientific community interested in peer reviewing the data. Upon reanalysis, Monsanto's data showed statistically significant differences between GE fed rats and controls.The data showed that MON863 causes liver and kidney toxicity as well as several other physiological changes.
<ref>{{cite journal |author=Gilles-Eric Seralini; Dominique Cellier; Joel Spiroux de Vendomois |title=New Analysis of a Rat Feeding Study with a Genetically Modified Maize Reveals Signs of Hepatorenal Toxicity |journal=Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |volume=52 |pages=596–602 |date=2007 |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/s00244-006-0149-5}}</ref>
=== "Terminator" seed controversy ===
{{main|Terminator Technology}}
In June 2007, Monsanto acquired Delta & Pine Land Company, a company that had been involved with a seed technology nicknamed "Terminator", which produces plants that produce sterile seed to prevent farmers from replanting their crop's seed, rather than purchasing the seed from Monsanto for every planting. In recent years, widespread opposition from environmental organizations and farmer associations has grown, mainly out of the concerns that these seeds increase farmers' dependency on seed suppliers (having to buy these each year for seeding new crops). However, Monsanto had publicly pledged not to commercialise terminator technology. <ref> http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/1999/oct/06/gm.food2 World braced for terminator 2. The Guardian (1999). Retrieved on 28 January 2008. </ref>
===rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone)===
{{main|Bovine somatotropin}}
Monsanto sparked controversy nationwide with the introduction of Bovine somatotropin, abbreviated as rBST and commonly known as rBGH. It is a hormone that is injected into cows to increase milk production, causing a number of problems with the milk,raising levels of pus, antibiotic residues, and a cancer accelerating hormone called IGF-1. IGF-1 is a hormone stimulated by rBGH in the cow's blood stream, which is directly responsible for the increase in milk production. IGF-1 is a natural hormone found in the milk of both humans and cows causing the quick growth of infants. Though this hormone is naturally found in mothers to be fed to their infants it produces adverse effects in non-infants. IGF-1 behaves as a cancer accelerator in adults and non-infants; this biologically active hormone is associated with breast, prostate, and colon cancers.<ref>Ewall, Mike. [http://www.ejnet.org/bgh/nogood.html Bovine Growth Hormone: Milk does nobody good] from EJNet.org (Web Resources for Environmental Justice Activists) 17 October 2007</ref>. However, reports have shown that there is no difference whatsoever between milk from cows injected with BST and those that were not. A long term study on cows has also shown no significant increase in health risks for injected herds.{{fact}}
According to the ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09feed.html Fighting on a Battlefield the Size of a Milk Label] from ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref> Monsanto's brand of rBST, [[Posilac]], has recently (March 2008) been the focus for a pro-rBST advocacy group called Afact, made up of large dairy business conglomerates and closely affiliated with Monsanto itself. This group, whose acronym stands for American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology, has engaged in large-scale lobbying efforts at the state level to prevent milk which is rBST-free from being labeled as such. As milk labeled as hormone-free has proved enormously popular with consumers, the primary justification by Afact for their efforts has been that rBST is [[FDA]]-approved and that the popularity of milk sold without it is damaging what they claim to be the right of dairy producers to use a technology that maximizes their profits. Monsanto claims that labeling of hormone-free milk takes advantage of consumers by allowing higher prices for the milk by suggesting that it is "better" or "safer" than BST milk, when in fact, there is no difference. Monsanto is requesting that companies that advertise their milk as "rBST-free" be required to add the FDA label claiming that rBST has been found safe for human consumption and no differences exist between hormone and hormone-free milk. Thus far, a large-scale negative consumer response to Afact's legislative and regulatory efforts has kept state regulators from pushing through strictures that would ban hormone-free milk labels, though several politicians have tried, including [[Pennsylvania]]'s agriculture secretary Dennis Wolff, who tried to ban rBST-free milk labeling on the grounds that "consumers are confused" Proposed labeling changes have been floated by Afact lobbyists in [[New Jersey]], [[Ohio]], [[Indiana]], [[Kansas]], [[Utah]], [[Missouri]] and [[Vermont]] thus far.
===Pollution in Anniston, Alabama===
In 2002, the [[Washington Post]] reported that Monsanto had knowingly discharged [[PCB]]-laden waste into local creeks and landfills in [[Anniston, Alabama]]. <ref>{{cite web|title=Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A46648-2001Dec31|publisher=[[Washington Post]]|accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref>
==Crimes==
===Dumping of toxic waste in the UK===
Between 1965 and 1972, Monsanto paid [[contractors]] to illegally dump thousands of tons of highly [[toxic waste]] in [[UK]] [[landfill]] sites, knowing that their chemicals were liable to contaminate [[wildlife]] and [[people]]. The [[Environment Agency]] said the chemicals were found to be [[polluting]] [[groundwater]] and the [[atmosphere]] 30 years after they were dumped.<ref name='Dump'>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The wasteland: how years of secret chemical dumping left a toxic legacy | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/feb/12/uknews.pollution1 | work =[[The Guardian]] | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-27 | language = }}</ref>
The Brofiscin quarry, near [[Cardiff]], erupted in 2003, spilling fumes over the surrounding area, but the local community was unaware that the [[quarry]] housed [[toxic waste]].
A [[UK government]] report shows that 67 chemicals, including [[Agent Orange]] derivatives, dioxins and [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]]s exclusively made by Monsanto, are leaking from one unlined porous [[quarry]] that was not authorized to take chemical wastes. It emerged that the [[groundwater]] has been polluted since the 1970s.<ref name='EA'>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Brofiscin Quarry | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/wales/426317/1733484/ | work =[[environment agency]] | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-27 | language = }}</ref> The government was criticised for failing to publish information about the scale and exact nature of this contamination. According to the [[Environment Agency]] it could cost £100m to [[Environmental remediation|clean up]] the site in [[south Wales]], called "one of the most contaminated" in the UK.<ref name='Dump2'>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Monsanto dumped toxic waste in UK | date= | publisher= | url =http://environment.guardian.co.uk/waste/story/0,,2011024,00.html | work =Guardian | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-27 | language = }}</ref>
===Indonesian bribing convictions===
In January 2005, Monsanto agreed to pay a $1.5m fine for [[bribing]] an Indonesian [[official]]. Monsanto admitted a senior manager at Monsanto directed an Indonesian [[consulting firm]] to give a $50,000 bribe to a high-level official in Indonesia's environment ministry in 2002, in a bid to avoid [[Environmental impact assessment]] on its [[genetically modified]] [[cotton]]. Monsanto told the company to disguise an invoice for the bribe as "[[Management consulting|consulting fees]]". Monsanto also has admitted to paying bribes to a number of other high-ranking Indonesian officials between 1997 and 2002. Monsanto faced both [[criminal]] and [[Civil law|civil]] charges from the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] and the [[SEC]]. Monsanto has agreed to pay $1m to the Department of Justice and $500,000 to the [[SEC]] to settle the bribe charge and other related violations.<ref name='Bribe'>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Monsanto fined $1.5m for bribery | date= | publisher=[[BBC]] | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4153635.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-28 | language = }}</ref>
===Monsanto fined in France for false advertising===
Monsanto was fined $19,000 in a [[Justice in France|French court]] on January 26th, 2007 for misleading the public about the [[Environmental impact assessment|environmental impact]] of its record selling [[herbicide]] [[Roundup]]. A former chairman of Monsanto Agriculture France was found guilty of [[false advertising]] for presenting [[Roundup]] as [[biodegradable]] and claiming that it left the [[soil]] clean after use.
Environmental and consumer rights campaigners brought the case in 2001 on the basis that [[glyphosate]], Roundup's main ingredient, is classed as "dangerous for the environment" and "toxic for aquatic organisms" by the [[European Union]]. Monsanto's French distributor Scotts France was also fined 15,000 euros. Both defendants were ordered to pay damages of 5,000 euros to the Brittany Water and Rivers association and 3,000 euros to the CLCV [[consumers group]].<ref name='ADS'>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Monsanto Fined in France for 'False' Herbicide Ads | date= | publisher=[[Organic Consumers Association]] | url =http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4114.cfm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-28 | language = }}</ref>.
==Cooperation with [[BASF]]==
Monsanto is cooperating with [[BASF]] in research, development and marketing of biotechnology. <ref>http://www.corporate.basf.com/de/investor/veranstaltungen/termine/070321_interview.htm?id=V00-Eq3z_CNjlbcp.*0</ref>
==Resistance in Europe==
Europeans have been resisting [[genetically modified food]] for a long time. Monsanto has been facing stiff resistance from the [[European Union]] over its portfolio of GM foods. Their approval is important for Monsanto as the EU’s position on GM foods influences the global debate. The GM industry has never gained wholehearted approval from the public in the EU. There have been several laws passed on this subject, and EU legislation of 2003 asked for strict rules on labeling, [[traceability]] and risk assessments of GM foods by all the [[biotech]] companies. The Regulation of 2004 laid down procedures on traceability and labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and all products produced using GMOs. The [[mandatory labeling]] legislation extends its requirement to all food and food ingredients produced from GMOs regardless of the detectable presence of DNA or protein within the final food product. These actions severely affected Monsanto as labeling foods as GM would stigmatise the foods.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,748928,00.html#article_continue Tough European line on GM labelling] from ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref> In the EU, there has been a moratorium on the approval of new GM crops since 1998 caused by the public anxiety over the potential risks of GM foods.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,777490,00.html#article_continue Troubled Monsanto scales down GM hopes in Europe] from ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref> Despite that, EU member [[Spain]] has been extensively producing GM products which are also exported to the other EU member states.
==Soyabean in Argentina==
Arguably, Monsanto claims one of its greatest success stories has been [[genetically modified]] [[soyabean]] ([[Roundup Ready]] soya) grown and sold in [[Argentina]]. There are claims that its use increased soya production by 75% and increased yields by 173% over five years till 2002, giving good [[profitability]] to farmers. This was good news for the farmers who saw GM soya as a [[cash crop]] which had a good export potential as feed for cattle. Therefore, Argentinean farmers relied on GM soya as their only produce. In 2004, there were questions being raised about the actual benefits, Anti-GM soya [[activists]] claimed that the consequences of growing RR soya in Argentina included a massive exodus of small farmers from the countryside because they could no longer make a living (as they could not afford GM soya) or were driven off their land. It also made the farmers have to buy the GM seeds every year as the seeds produced by GM crops cannot be reused.
Monsanto reasoned that the [[soil degradation]] and increased use of [[pesticides]] was not due to the use of its GM Soya. It maintains that farmers need to rotate crops in order to allow the soil to recover. Farmers should grow GM soya and then rotate it with corn or other cash crops. However, due to the growing demand of soya, farmers in Argentina did not rotate crops and grew only soya, resulting in damage to the soil.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/apr/16/gm.food GM soya 'miracle' turns sour in Argentina] from ''The Guardian''</ref>
==Pig controversy==
After getting involved in the Soya controversies, Monsanto found itself in the midst of another [[controversy]] with its "Pig Patent". In 2005, Monsanto had filed two [[patents]] for processes which controlled the [[breeding]] and the herds of pigs. This resulted in Monsanto being under scrutiny for [[ownership]] rights over pigs and their offspring. Many commentators felt that Monsanto was planning to create improved designer animals for human consumption using special breeding techniques. Monsanto was able to control breeds with specific characteristics as per the patent, and disallowing other breeders and farmers from doing so. The patent, being broad, remained unclear about the ownership of the proceeds from the sale of the pigs by farmers. It did not mention about the [[royalties]] involved when a food producer produces sausages (as an example) using those pigs which are bred using Monsanto’s process. This was a source of royalty for Monsanto. Monsanto wanted to cash in on the growing consumer demand for meat products globally and many [[activists]] question the ethics of Monsanto’s actions.<ref>[http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto-pig-patent-111 Monsanto files patent for new invention: the pig | Greenpeace International<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The filing of the patents also raises questions about the livelihood of all the pig breeders – those who use Monsanto process on the ownership and those who use traditional methods of pig rearing accused of [[patent infringement]]. As like the earlier seed controversy and the Canadian incident, the farmers are afraid of losing their livelihood due to Monsanto’s breeding technique. They fear that Monsanto would also file [[lawsuit]]s against them like they did to the soya and corn farmers. This stems from the fact that the patent filed by Monsanto is quite broad and the interpretation would lead to them owning not just the breeding process, but also the pigs which are bred from this method.<ref>[http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=2480 Monsanto develops "Genetically Modified Pig"] from [[Centre for Research on Globalization]]</ref>
However, there is no evidence of any addition in the nutritional value and fat content lowering which has been claimed by Monsanto. On its part, Monsanto claims that it is not trying to patent pigs; it wants the ability to track which animals come from its system. Advocates of [[genetically modified food]]s stress that this scientific process is one of the ways of increasing food production in a world where the demand for food is ever increasing. It brings about an increase in supply and is beneficial to the community. Hundreds of patents on animals have been granted over the years, including [[salmon]], [[shrimps]] and [[mice]]. But most are Genetically Modified creatures used in laboratory research, not common farm animals which are a source of income for people.
==Legal issues==
Monsanto is notable for its involvement in high profile [[lawsuit]]s, as both [[plaintiff]] and [[defendant]]. It has been involved in a number of [[class action]] suits, where fines and damages have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, usually over [[health]] issues related to its products. Monsanto has also made frequent use of the courts to defend its [[patent]]s, particularly in the area of [[biotechnology]].
=== As defendant ===
{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}}<!--almost every block here should have a reliable source, and most still do not -->
In 1917, the US government filed suit against Monsanto over the safety of its original product, [[saccharin]]. Monsanto eventually won, after several years in court.
It was sued, along with [[Dow Chemical Company|Dow]] and other chemical companies by veterans for the side effects of its [[Agent Orange]] defoliant, used by the US [[military]] in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3798581.stm|title=Vietnam's war against Agent Orange|date=[[June 14]], [[2004]]}}</ref>
In 2000, GLC sued Monsanto for the $71 million dollar shortfall in expected sales.
More recently, it lost a series of court decisions resulting in US$700 million in damages being awarded to thousands of residents of the town of [[Anniston, Alabama]] that had been polluted over a period of years by Monsanto's [[polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]] byproducts. It was settled with the following judgment. Though the PCB production was outlawed in 1979 and Monsanto ceased production in 1977, it failed to clear up the levels of PCB already in the natural population, until detection by the federal Soil Detection Service. At their own initiative, the company dredged a few hundred yards of the contaminated [[Snow Creek]] and surrounding tributaries, but far from enough. After the truth was uncovered by the wider public, prompting swift investigations by the EPA and incinerators were introduced to burn large quantities of sarin and mustard gas produced by Monsanto.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A46648-2001Dec31 Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution] from ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> On [[February 22]] 2002, Monsanto was found guilty of “negligence, wantonness, suppression of truth, nuisance, trespass, and outrage.”<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54914-2002Feb22 Monsanto Held Liable For PCB Dumping] from ''The Washington Post''</ref>
On October 13th, 2004, the [[Europe]]an [[plant variety rights]] on a conventionally-bred strain of soft-milling [[wheat]] owned by [[France|French]] company [[RAGT Genetique]] were withdrawn at RAGT's request. The strain, called Galatea, was developed by [[Unilever]] and purchased by Monsanto in 1998; RAGT purchased the strain from Monsanto in May 2004 along with Monsanto's European wheat and [[barley]] business. Galatea is a cross between a European wheat strain and a conventional Indian variety [[Nap Hal]]. [[Greenpeace]] considers RAGT's withdrawal to represent a victory by Greenpeace over Monsanto and claim that they played a central role by proving that the variety in question was not the cross-bred strain described in the application but was really the traditional strain Nap Hal bred by Indian farmers, despite the contrary text of the application. RAGT says it withdrew its [[plant]] variety rights for commercial reasons and Greenpeace played no role in its decision.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} <!-- ??? -->
Also in 2004, the world's largest [[agrichemical]] company, [[Switzerland]]'s [[Syngenta]], launched a US lawsuit charging Monsanto with using coercive [[tactic (method)|tactic]]s to [[monopoly|monopolize]] markets.<ref>[http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/monopoly.cfm Monsanto's Monopoly of Biotech Sector Spurs Lawsuit] from [[Organic Consumers Association]]</ref> There are several lawsuits going both ways between Monsanto and Syngenta.
Monsanto is on trial in Carcassonne, [[France]], [[As of 2006|as of September 20 2006]], for having allegedly illegally imported 100 tonnes of soya seed contaminated with GM varieties, of which 50 tonnes were sold to local farmers. 50 tonnes were sent back to the USA.<ref>[http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/09/351147.html Monsanto in court in France] from [[Independent Media Center|Indy Media]]</ref>
=== As plaintiff ===
Since the mid-1990s, it has sued some 150 US farmers for [[patent infringement]] in connection with its GE seed. The usual claim involves violation of a technology agreement that prohibits farmers from saving seed from one season's crop to plant the next. One farmer received an eight-month [[prison]] sentence, in addition to having to pay damages, when a Monsanto case turned into a [[criminal prosecution]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}} Monsanto reports that it pursues approximately 500 cases of suspected infringement annually.
In 2003, Monsanto sued Oakhurst Dairy in [[Maine]] for advertising that its [[milk]] products did not come from cows treated with bovine growth hormone, claiming that such advertising hurt its business. The president of Oakhurst responded by saying, "We ought to have the right to let people know what is and is not in our milk."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/07/14/1437218|author=Democracy Now, Headlines|title="Monsanto Sues Milk Producer For Advertising It Sells Hormone-Free Milk"|date=[[July 14]], [[2003]]|publisher=''[[Democracy Now]]''|accessdate=2006-12-22}}</ref>
Monsanto specializes in genetically altered seeds especially food crops such as apples, soybeans, and potatoes. Because of these modifications the company has reason to patent their product. This is their greatest advantage, because the consumers must continue to buy new seed each season or risk a law suit for violating Monsanto's patent. <ref>{{cite journal |author=Melody Peterson |title=New Trade Threat for U.S. Farmers |journal=New York Times |date=1999-08-29}}</ref> This is supported by the United States government because it believes in free trade, even though Monsanto's domination over the seed buying market is now a choice between Monsanto or its top competitor, DuPont. <ref>{{cite journal |author=Peter Montague |title=Monsanto: The Bad Seed |journal=Environmental Health Weekly |date=1999-09-02}}</ref> This genetic engineering has brought more problems than just cornering the market. <ref>{{cite journal |author=Emily Gersema |title=Death Sentence for Monsanto--Roundup Resistant Weeds |journal=Associated Press |date=2003-09-13}}</ref> In 1998 Monsanto's patented seeds infected and pollenated farmland, established for forty years, owned by [[Percy Schmeiser]]. Monsanto Canada sued the seventy year old farmer for 'stealing' their patented seeds. This high profile case, ''[[Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser]]'', went to the [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court]] level. Monsanto sued an independent farmer, Percy Schmeiser, for patent infringement for growing [[genetically modified]] [[Roundup]] resistant [[canola]]. The 1998 case was portrayed in the media as a classic David and Goliath confrontation. This cross pollination destroyed Schmeiser's forty years worth of carefully grown fields. In March of 2001, Supreme Court Judge W. Andrew MacKay ruled that Schmeiser had violated Monsanto's genetically engineered patent. "This is very good news for us, Mr. Schmeiser had infringed on our patent." said Monsanto's Trish Jordan. The court rejected Monsanto's claim for damages and did not impose punitive damages on Schmeiser, which would not have been expected in a case involving a new question of law. The case did cause Monsanto's enforcement tactics to be highlighted in the media over the years it took to play out. <ref>{{cite journal |author=Gar Smith |title=Percy Schmeiser vs. Monsanto |journal=Earth Island Journal |date=2001 autumn}}</ref> In 2008, agreed to pay the Schmeiser $660 to settle the original [[small-claims court]] case for the cost of removing the patented Roundup Ready canola from their field in 2005. Monsanto had offered to settle the case in 2005, but Schmeiser refused the original offer because it required that the couple sign a release stating they would never discuss the case or the terms of the agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/19/7784/|title=Grain Farmer Claims Moral Victory in Seed Battle Against}}</ref> In the settlement, Monsanto Canada assumed no liability. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=834359|title=Percy Schmeiser Settles Small Claims Court Issue with Monsanto Canada|publisher=[[Monsanto]] (press release)}}</ref>
Monsanto has asked Spanish customs officials to inspect soymeal shipments to determine if they use Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" technology. Monsanto claims that 30% of Argentina's production uses black market-purchased Roundup Ready seed. Monsanto has petitioned to change the royalty collection system so that royalties are collected at harvest rather than upon purchase of the seed.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
=== Related legal actions ===
====In USA====
In 1997, [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] reportedly bowed to pressure from Monsanto to suppress an investigative report on the health risks associated with Monsanto's [[Bovine somatotropin|bovine growth hormone]] product, [[Posilac]].[http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20001204.htm] Posilac, a synthetic drug used to increase [[milk]] production in cows, is banned in most [[first-world]] countries, with the exception of the [[United States]], where it can be found in much of the milk supply. A Fox affiliate pressured its reporters, [[Steve Wilson (reporter)|Steve Wilson]] and [[Jane Akre]], to alter their report, despite evidence that Monsanto had lied about the risks of contaminated [[milk]] and [[infection|infected]] cattle.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The reporters refused to comply, and were eventually fired. Wilson and Akre then sued Fox in [[Florida]] state court, claiming they could not be fired for refusing to do something that they believed to be illegal. In 2000, a Florida jury found in favor of the reporters, however this decision was overturned in 2003 by an appeals court on a technicality in the interpretation of the [[whistleblower]]'s statute under which the original case had been filed, as fabricating the news is not actually illegal. The reporters' struggle with Fox is ongoing. The findings in their original report were never directly challenged.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
:''This story can be seen in the feature length documentary film [[The Corporation]]''.
====Monsanto vs [[Andhra Pradesh]] Government in India====
The state of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]], at first resisted Bt cotton and later, as it proved immensely popular with farmers, has attempted to control its price. In 2005, after a commission's fact finding statement, the state agriculture minister barred the company from selling cotton seeds in the state of Andhra Pradesh. [http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=92868]. The order was later lifted. More recently, the Andhra Pradesh state government filed several cases<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/27/stories/2006062704310700.htm A.P. Government files contempt petition before MRTPC against Monsanto] from ''[[The Hindu]]''</ref> against Monsanto and its [[Mumbai]] based licensee Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds, after they challenged the order directing the company not to charge a trait price of more than Rs. 900 per pack of 450 grams of Bt. Cotton seed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3855517.stm][http://navdanya.org/news/06may08.htm].The [[Andhra Pradesh]] State Government has also sought a compensation package of about Rs 4.5 crore (about 1 Million US$) to be paid by the company to farmers affected in some districts.
==Criticism==
===In India===
Monsanto has had a controversial history in [[India]], starting with the accusations of [[Terminator Technology|terminator gene]]s in its seed. There were demonstrations against the company. Later, its GM cotton seed was the subject of NGO agitation because of its higher cost. The company also faces increasing piracy of seed in India, with local farmers creating their own varieties.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/2998150.stm India's GM seed Piracy] from [[BBC News]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/465969.stm Farmers welcome halt of 'terminator'] from BBC News</ref> In 2003 [[Brazil]] followed suit with a similar protest in [[Goias]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/2961284.stm Brazil activists target Monsanto] from BBC News</ref>
====Child labour====
A subsidiary of Monsanto has been accused of employing child labour in the manufacture of cotton-seeds in India. The work involves handling of poisonous pesticides such as [[Endosulfan]] and the children get less than Rs.20 (half dollar) per day.<ref>[http://www.indianet.nl/cotseed.html Child Labour and Trans-National Seed Companies in Hybrid Cotton Seed Production in Andhra Pradesh] from India Committee of the Netherlands</ref> The company has refuted these claims on the basis that the children are not directly employed by the company.
====Farmer suicides in India====
Frontline's "Seeds of Suicide: India's Desperate Farmers" has detailed some of the struggles facing the Indian farmer.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/07/seeds_of_suicid.html Seeds of Suicide: India's desperate farmers] from the [[Public Broadcasting System]]</ref> The transition to using the latest pest-resistant seeds and the necessary herbicides has been difficult. Farmers have been lured to genetically modified seeds promoted by Cargill and Monsanto by the promise of greater yields. While research has shown that these seeds have delivered on the promise provided increased income and increasing total Indian cotton production since their introduction{{Fact|date=November 2007}}, in some cases, due to possibly a large number of influences, problematic crops have cost some farmers entire harvests. Resulting debts from such gambles with genetically modified seeds have led some farmers into the equivalent of indentured servitude and alarming suicide rates in the thousands.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=4871 Farmer's Suicides] from ''[[Z Magazine]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.countercurrents.org/gl-sharma290604.htm Indian Farmer's Final Solution] from CounterCurrents.org</ref>
In India, Monsanto's GM seed business is run by a joint venture, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMB) India Ltd.<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2011/stories/20030606006512500.htm Controversy: The Andhra Pradesh experience] from ''[[The Hindu]]''</ref> and markets its BT Cotton seeds under various names. The Andhra Pradesh government has registered a case against Monsanto for its high seed prices.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/27/stories/2006062704310700.htm A.P. Government files contempt petition before MRTPC against Monsanto] from ''[[The Hindu]]''</ref>
===In the United Kingdom===
Monsanto dumped thousands of tons of waste containing PCBs in a quarry near Groesfaen, Wales.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=4 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===In the United States===
The non-profit Center for Food Safety<ref>[www.centerforfoodsafety.org]</ref>listed 112 lawsuits by Monsanto against farmers for claims of seed patent violations.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=2 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Center for Food Safety's analyst stated that many innocent farmers settle with Monsanto because they cannot afford a time consuming lawsuit. Monsanto is frequently described by farmers as "Gestapo" and "Mafia" both because of these lawsuits and because of the questionable means they use to collect evidence of patent infringement.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Monsanto is responsible for more than 50 Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites, dating back to the era in which the company was called "Monsanto Chemical."<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=3 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
As of May, 2008, Monsanto is currently engaged in a campaign to prohibit dairies which do not inject their cows with artificial bovine growth hormone from advertising this fact on their milk cartons.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> When the Federal Trade Commission did not side with Monsanto on this issue, the company started lobbying state lawmakers to implement a similar ban. Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolfe attempted to prohibit dairies from using labels stating that their milk does not contain artificial bovine growth hormone, but public outcry led Governor Edward Rendell to reverse this ban.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=6 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
====In Missouri====
Gary Rinehart of Eagleville, Missouri was sued by Monsanto in 2002, who claimed that he had violated their Roundup Ready Soybean patent. Rinehart is not a farmer or seed dealer, but he still had to spend money for his legal defense. Monsanto eventually dropped the lawsuit, but never issued an apology, admitted to making a mistake, or offered to pay for Rinehart's legal expenses.
Monsanto sued the Pilot Grove Cooperative Elevator in Pilot Grove, Missouri, claiming that offering seed cleaning services to farmers was tantamount to inducing them to pirate Monsanto seeds. The Pilot Grove Cooperative Elevator had been cleaning seeds for decades before companies like Monsanto could even patent organisms.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=2 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=3 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
====In Illinois====
Monsanto Chemical company founded and incorporated the town of [[Sauget, Illinois]], to avoid taxation from [[East Saint Louis]]. For many years the company employed the city's people and polluted its environment while giving them no tax revenue in return, even during the city's decline throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
====In Alabama====
Monsanto is accused of encouraging residents of Anniston, Alabama to use soil known by the company to be contaminated with [[PCBs]] as top soil.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=4 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Political contributions==
'''Monsanto''' gave $106,500 to federal candidates in the 05/06 election cycle through its [[political action committee]] (PAC) - 32% to [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 68% to [[Republican Party (USA)|Republicans]].
<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strID=C00042069 2006 PAC Summary Data], ''Open Secrets.''</ref>
===Lobbying===
The company spent $3,640,000 for [[Lobbying in the United States|lobbying]] in 2006. $680,000 was to outside [[lobbying firms]] with the remainder being spent using in-house lobbyists.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Monsanto+Co&year=2006 Monsanto lobbying expenses], ''Open Secrets.''</ref>
===Public officials formerly employed by Monsanto===
*Justice [[Clarence Thomas]] worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the 2001 Supreme Court decision [[J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.|J. E. M. AG SUPPLY, INC. V. PIONEER HI-BREDINTERNATIONAL, INC.]] which found that "newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States." This case benefitted all companies which profit from genetically modified crops, of which Monsanto is one of the largest.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/harl/HarlMar02.htm Key Supreme Court ruling on plant patents * - McEowen, Harl March 2002<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-1996.ZS.html J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. V. Pioneer Hi-Bredinternational, Inc<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the F.D.A. commissioner before he left to work for a law firm on gaining F.D.A. approval of Monsanto’s artificial growth hormone in the 1980s. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the F.D.A. in 1991.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*Dr. Michael A. Friedman was a deputy commissioner of the F.D.A. before he was hired as a senior vice president of Monsanto.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*Linda J. Fisher was an assistant administrator at the E.P.A before she was a vice president at Monsanto from 1995 - 2000. In 2001, Fisher became the deputy administrator of the E.P.A.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*Former Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] was chairman and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Co., which Monsanto purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld personally made at least $12 million USD from the transaction.<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?currentPage=5 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Media representation==
Documentaries:
*[[The Corporation]]
*[[The Future of Food]]
Books:
*[[Silent Spring]]
Movies:
*[[Michael Clayton (film)]]
Magazine Articles:
*Vanity Fair: ''Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear'' by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele<ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805 Monsanto's Harvest of Fear: Politics & Power: vanityfair.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===''Le Monde selon Monsanto''===
In March 2008, French journalist [[Marie-Monique Robin]] released the results of her three years of research worldwide into Monsanto. A book was published by La Découverte, a French editor, and a video documentary, ''Le Monde selon Monsanto'' (''The World according to Monsanto''), was released on DVD and shown on Arte TV.<ref>[http://www.arte.tv/monsanto Le monde selon Monsanto] from [[Arte TV]]</ref><ref>[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842180934463681887&hl=en The world according to Monsanto] from [[Google Video]]</ref> It reveals numerous controversial facts about Monsanto. Marie-Monique Robin traveled the world to meet scientists and political figures in order to investigate the consequences of several Monsanto products. Those interviewed include [[Shiv Chopra]], a Canadian researcher who was fired by [[Health Canada]] for revealing an attempted bribe by Monsanto regarding the attempted introduction of Bovine Growth Hormone into Canada. The author of the research met several independent scientists around the world who tried to warn the political authorities about the use of GM seeds. According to the journalist, most of these scientists actually lost their jobs as a consequence of their speaking out. The "[[revolving door syndrome]]" is also pointed out in the research as a threat to the quality and independence of the scientific conclusions about the effects of Monsanto products, especially the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). At the end of the movie, it is explained that Monsanto did not want to answer to Marie-Monique Robin's questions.
==See also==
*[[Pioneer Hi-Bred International]]
*[[Roundup]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4153635.stm Monsanto fined for bribery]
* [http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fct/2001/2001fct256.shtml ''Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser'', Federal Court of Canada decision]
* [http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fct/2002/2002fca309.shtml ''Schmeiser v. Monsanto Canada Inc.'', Federal Court of Appeal decision]
* [http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/pub/2004/vol1/html/2004scr1_0902.html ''Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser'', Supreme Court of Canada decision]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4250/is_199704/ai_n13243520.htnl Monsanto Buys Final Calgene Shares]
* [http://www.atommobiles.com Monsanto's part in Disneyland history]
*[http://www.thesimon.com/magazine/articles/canon_fodder/01375_give_bees_chance.html Monsanto vs Bees]
* [http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html Monsanto BGH lawsuit]
*[http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/colItems.asp?ID=SEC20061118085107 After killer cotton, killer brinjal?]
* Marie-Monique Robin: ''Le Monde selon Monsanto - De la dioxine aux OGM, une multinationale qui vous veut du bien.'' Coédition [[Arte]] / [[La Découverte]], 2008. (Book ISBN 2707149187 or 978-270714918 and DVD-ASIN: B001684BP0 ). English: "''The World According to Monsanto''"
==External links==
* [http://www.monsanto.com/ Monsanto's Official Website]
* [http://www.hoovers.com/co/capsule/2/0,2163,100932,00.html Hoover's Online: Monsanto Company Capsule]
* [http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Monsanto SourceWatch on Monsanto]
*[http://www.monsantowatch.org/ Monsanto Watch]
*[http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm Millions Against Monsanto]
*[http://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?q=monsanto&t=fulltext Photos of the Monsanto Plant after the 1947 Texas City Disaster] hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History]
*[http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=5575765927481977413&q=monsanto&total=815&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0 Critical documentairy about Monsanto patented pigs]
* [http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46408/story.htm Biotech Companies Race for Drought-Tolerant Crops]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842180934463681887&pr=goog-sl Critical documentary of Monsato's business practices.]
* [http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805 Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear] from ''[[Vanity Fair]]''
* [http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9494 Monsanto has to Accept Full Responsibility for Genetic Contamination]
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