Truth about GMO

Even set against the standards of today's behemoths of international trade and commerce, the company Monsanto is a true giant. Since its founding in 1901, Monsanto has developed various embodiments, mostly as a producer and supplier of chemicals. His numerous mergers and acquisitions often have dramatically changed the scope of its activities, and as the twentieth century came to a close, Monsanto began a transition of its key role that a chemical company in a huge operation biotechnology, where they are today. Following this transformation Monsanto has sought to portray itself as a soldier in the sustainability cause, at his home a short description claims that "We apply innovation ... but also to reduce the impact of agriculture on our environment." Monsanto holds 17500 employees around the globe, and took a turnover of U.S. $ 7344 billion in 2006. And yet all not well in the aisles to Monsanto headquarters in Saint Louis.

Monsanto continue to carry the baggage of dubious legacies of biotechnology before his reincarnation. Among them is the Texas City Disaster, 1947 explosion during loading of fertilizers in his Galveston Bay, is considered the grate industrial accident in American history. During the Vietnam War, Monsanto supplied the defoliant Agent Orange in the United States armed forces for use in its herbicide active warfare program. In a 2002 report was Monsanto, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "potentially responsible party" to the contamination of 56 industrial sites. His popular "Roundup" herbicide glyphosate, are cited in a number of studies as causes of cancer (although a number of studies refute these allegations). Monsanto has been accused or implied in a litany of cases of adverse health effects on the employees at its two plants and users of its products. And Monsanto's enthusiastic use and promotion of genetically modified seeds has provoked The IRE many in Europe and beyond, where a deep mistrust of the public that these organisms remains widespread.

Enter Marie-Monique Robin. The French veteran investigative journalist has never earned a reputation as a scourge of business interests in the spirit of such a crusader Ralph Nader as their interests and works in the past were primarily political in nature. It was widely recognized for a book and accompanying documentary exposed the role of French secret services in certain endearing unsavory techniques to Argentine and Chilean counterparts in South America's turbulent 1970s and 1980s. But with a new book and documentary film entitled Le monde selon Monsanto (The World According to Monsanto), it has executed a full frontal attack on Monsanto itself, and the corporate world can never be the same, neither the again.

I Book or seen the documentary, but to judge from reviews and the author own comments in interviews, it seems that its premise is as follows. After their comprehensive three-year investigation which reveals the depth of Monsanto's vice past and present, Robin believe that we have to ask: "Can we believe, [Monsanto] when they tell us that the Biotechnology will help to address the problems of hunger and environmental contamination? "(My own translation from French) (Source: Arte TV) Robin In the essential questions of ethics, because the shame of its past, so that the Monsanto in the world today.

The overwhelming evidence that Monsanto is in fact guilty of serious misconduct on many counts. Robin's work is a product of a time in which we now expect our companies to behave as responsible members of society, and its shape and sound give teeth to this approach. Not only are these expectations legitimate and real, but the citizens is prepared to act, and act decisively to ensure corporate compliance. The powerful way in which Robin sends this message is too begraen, and Monsanto (and also all companies have committed to environmental and other transgressions) is to redress accordingly.

However I would like to point out that important in this particular case to divorce the instances of misconduct in Monsanto's bio-engineering industry wholesalers. I'm not delusional state, and I acknowledge that the profit motive and not a spontaneous and overwhelming altruism of driving companies such as Monsanto. However, if the whole system ordnungsgema monitored, there are many posters illustrations of how the interests of global capitalism and the underprivileged should not be mutually exclusive. It is a fact that high-yield seeds and other varieties, easily offered by Monsanto and others, for intensifications of agricultural cultivation. This is particularly important in densely populated poor rural regions where the land for agriculture would otherwise simply not sufficient to meet the population. The resulting reduction of malnutrition have saved many lives and improved many others. A New York Times article in October 2007 offers aa sense of the enormous potential for transformative hand, if only a full implementation can be achieved. In this article, Celia W. Dugger shows that seed programmes in Africa have not behind because of defects in the semen itself, but rather a lack of infrastructure in business and local know-how. It highlights the pockets of success, and refers to India "Green Revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s made it possible that the feeding of hundreds of millions of people. India's success, she says, is due to the stronger economy Farm Foundation, with whom she was endowed.

These truths serve as an example of the dangers inherent, if we allow that cases of corporate negligence and neglect to fall necessarily the whole Ship. We can and must showcase special outrages and demand redress, but it would be a mistake to paint a whole industry with the brush toxic. As for the pharmaceutical, bio-engineering industry must be allowed and encouraged to continue its work with input and assistance from philanthropic and other organizations and under the supervision of the national and international bodies governance.

We, where demand accountability, accountability is often rejected . But in the spirit of justice, we must also give to whom honor is well due.

Copyright (c) 2008 Jackson Kern

Jackson Kern is a contributing editor to the Alternative Channel Blog. The Alternative Channel is a website dedicated to giving non-profit organizations concerned with sustainable development, environmentalism, and humanitarian issues an online forum for their video content. You can learn more at http://www.alternativechannel.tv

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