Monsanto - Superhero or Villain?
The Monsanto Company is a US based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. Monsanto was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1901 by John Francis Queeny who was once in the pharmaceutical industry1. Monsanto started out developing a highly controversial artificial sweetener called saccharine, then by 1945 was making deadly chemicals like agent orange which was used in the Vietnam war and PCB’s, eventually their focused shifted to genetically modified (GM) plants and animals2. On this company’s website they come across as a committed humanitarian organization that provides an ecologically sustainable answer to global hunger and malnutrition3. The sad reality is that Monsanto is perhaps one of the most unethical corporations in the world today. This company makes promises in their marketing propaganda which can lead many to believe that he is a superhero in our society until they take the time to really discover that the people behind it all are only looking to becoming wealthier and make it seem that they have found a cruel for the agriculture problems around the world, this may work short term but in the long run, its destroying the earth and those living in it. Monsanto is nowhere near good but very evil, everything on the website is nothing but luring those in that believes he has solved the problem. Many issues and examples will be discussed to prove Monsanto is doing more harm then ever.

Monsanto is one of the most powerful companies worldwide, the biggest and well know thing about them is the fact that they have created GMO seeds to help the economy, population and hunger. Many might think this is a good idea because it creates bigger and faster products and that it isn’t a big issue, but really it is. One could say that if farmers don’t want to participate in growing these crops they don’t have to, it isn’t that easy. Farmers in North America find it almost impossible to get normal seeds these days; this company is doing a load of things to keep farmers and everyone else from having any access at all to buying, collecting, and saving of normal seeds4. The most widely recognized of their genetically modified products include corn, soy and canola. These seeds have a gene inserted that makes them resistant to Monsanto’s own herbicide called roundup. These seed crops are called roundup ready. Its purpose is to destroy weeds that threaten crops and are kept weed-free5. This may sound appealing but in fact, the plants are being covered in a toxic herbicide6. Clearly these chemicals can cause genetic damage to both animals and humans. It is clear that even those Monsanto has stated on the website that its purpose is to “help farmers”, and “produce healthier foods”7, that they only try to assimilate them through many ways one of which is patenting. If a farmer wants to use Monsanto Roundup Ready patented seeds, he or she must pay Monsanto every year for new seeds. Farmers can only use them for one season, even for each successive season the farmers have to pay them again even though the crop is self replicating8. They have also bought up the seed companies across the Midwest making it impossible for farmers to buy seeds without contributing to Monsanto’s company and wealth. This is one reason how bad Monsanto Company is, because there are so many strict rules and regulations that one must follow. No matter what each farmer tries to escape this evil villain nothing will work to keep him out.

Another serious issue is that Monsanto has figured out a master plan to have all farmers working under him. This is the natural cross pollination, this means that GM crops unavoidably cross-pollinate with other non- GM crops, which are often neighbouring farms9. Famers who do not use Monsanto’s seed have to take every precaution necessary to ensure that their crops do not get contaminated. If this happens and crops become contaminated then the farmer is liable to get sued for patent