The multinational Monsanto presents itself as an agricultural company, which applies innovation and technology so that producers around the world increase their production.
Do you know what MONSANTO is?
We are going to understand what monsanto is and what its background is , in this way we can have an idea about how this committee works.
In 2004, the National Committee of Ethics in Science and Technology (CECTE), dependent on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, considered that it is “inconvenient” for the public institution to associate with companies that ” are subject to ethical questioning by their responsibilities and concrete actions to the detriment of the general well-being and the environment ”. The multinational had the intention of awarding $ 30,000 to the best project in the area of biotechnology and the environment.
Monsanto handles the sale of GM seeds, and is the main exporter in Latin America, Canada and the United States. Their crops represent more than 90 percent of all the transgenic crops in the world. Crops resistant to its herbicide “glyphosate”, such as “RR soy” (Roundup Ready) and “RR corn”, only promote industrial input-dependent agriculture. A look at its history will give us some insightful clues, and can help us better understand current monsanto practices and their impact on human health.
When was Monsanto founded
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, United States , and under the name of Monsanto Chemical Company, it was founded in 1901 by John Francis Queeny , a self-taught chemist who brought the technology of manufacturing saccharin, the first artificial sweetener, from Germany to the United States. United. In the 1920s, Monsanto became one of the leading manufacturers of sulfuric acid and other chemical industry commodities.
In the 1940s, Monsanto’s business revolved around plastics and synthetic fibers. In 1947, a French freighter carrying ammonium nitrate (used as a fertilizer) exploded on a dock about 90 meters from Monsanto’s plastics factory outside Galveston, Texas. More than 500 people died in what became one of the chemical industry’s greatest disasters.
Roundup is the world’s best-selling herbicide. Monsanto aggressively promotes Roundup as a safe, general-use herbicide anywhere from lawns and orchards to large forests. A recent study by Conicet associates glyphosate (RoundUp Ready Monsanto) with reduced fertility and spontaneous abortions, increased incidence of birth defects and developmental abnormalities, allergies, leukemia and other types of cancer.
Accusations against Monsanto
In 1997, Monsanto responded to five years of complaints from the New York State Attorney General that its Roundup ads were misleading by changing its ads to remove references to “biodegradability” and “environmentally positive”. herbicide.
The large fines against Monsanto in the United States include responsibilities for deaths from leukemia, fines of 40 million dollars for the dumping of dangerous products into the environment, and many other episodes. In 1995, Monsanto was the fifth United States company on the EPA’s toxic waste inventory, with millions of kilograms of toxic chemicals discharged to land, air, water, and underground.
While Monsanto argues that its “Roundup Ready” soybeans will eventually reduce herbicide consumption, the widespread use of herbicide-tolerant crop varieties means an increased dependence of farmers on the herbicide. The weeds that appear after the original herbicide has dispersed or degraded, are often treated with more herbicide applications.
The possible environmental and health effects of Roundup tolerant crops have not been fully investigated; And while in our province, many agricultural producers of soy use Roundup in their fields. And at the same time, the existing claims of farmers directly affected by this polluting chemical are growing. It is necessary to have a technology that is friendly to the environment and human health.
And that is why Monsanto technology must be rejected. To avoid this contamination in our food, we need to be able to choose which technologies are best for our communities , rather than having entities that are very difficult to hold accountable, like Monsanto, decide for us. With Monsanto, our health, our food, and the future of our planet are really at stake.