Monsanto Persuasive Essay
In a world where the population is growing at an alarming pace, the agricultural biotech corporation Monsanto and its scientists are now trying to create solutions to feeding the people more abundantly. Many claim that the solution to end famine start and end with speeding up the process of growing food. Nearly 15 percent of United States households struggle to put food on the table and by growing food faster it may decrease this statistic. Genetically modified foods have been researched and put in to practical applications very fast throughout the world. This new technology to alter all things natural has put a monkey wrench in our food supply system. The frontrunners of Big Agriculture Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta are strong-minded that world 's populations continue to be ignorant
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about the serious health and environmental risks of genetically modified crops and industrial agriculture (Null Seeds of Death). Deception and corruption lie beneath both the science supporting GMOs and the corporations and governments supporting them. So where does it leave the small business farmer? How healthy is it? How will it affect seeds given to us by Mother Nature? These questions and others will be addressed to try and make sense of why this process of genetically modifying organisms has Americans deeply concerned. Genetically modified organisms used in food all over the world may diminish the small farmer, cause disease and unhealthy lifestyles, and reduce seed diversity. The biotech corporation Monsanto has become the new evil empire. As the company continues to grow internationally, the harder it is for non-GMO farmers throughout the world to prosper in growing their crops organically or naturally. Gary Nulls states that “President Obama signed the spending bill HR 933 into law, which was largely concerned with the threat of government shutdown. However, submerged in the fine print was Section 735, the Farmer Assurance Provision which stops federal courts from being able to terminate the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified organisms and genetically engineered seeds. This is what critics have called the Monsanto Protection Act” (Null Seeds of Death). This statement explains how deep the biotech corporation has infiltrated the government. What chance does the small time farmer have in fighting this type of super power? Here is a fact. A judge in Canada ruled that if a non-GMO farmer crop is planted next to a GMO crop and is contaminated with GMO seeds, the organic farmer will no longer own the crops in his field. So the entire profit for that contaminated crop will go to the Monsanto Corporation because GMO-seed is patented property.
Many types of situations as this have the organic farm community living in fear. If the government continues to shove the organic framer over this will disrupt the natural flow of our economy and support a chemical company to decide what is safe for the consumers of this world to eat. The bottom line is this: Genetically modified food can be engineered in ways that make it most profitable to the company and not to the organic farmer, nor the consumer. Many small business farmers cannot compete with the manufacturing speed and financial support biotech companies have attained through the sustenance of high government officials. Another factor in the financial aspect of GMO farming is that seed prices for farmers are also soaring. Biotech cotton seed with the Roundup Ready trait costs up to $320 per bag, and conventional seed costs less than $30 per bag (Roseboro Non GMO). The cost of herbicide in combination with the higher price of genetically modified crops creates a tough economic environment for the small farmer. The already struggling conventional farmer will be taxed for the cost of biotech seed putting him even further into financial strain. For the Monsanto Corporation, the main focus for their existence is financial gain. As the powerful conglomerate pursues biotech engineering of genetically modified organisms, it often downplays and suppresses any knowledge that may hinder their chance or maximize their possibilities to make money. A report by Britain 's Royal Society, one of the country 's most distinguished scientific organization questions whether current safety tests are adequate for GM foods and calls for more research to rule out the possibility that GM foods can cause allergic reactions. The report also expresses concerns over the use of GM soy in baby food, saying babies may be more vulnerable to developing allergies (Non-GMO Report). There is much uncertainty when it involves the testing of genetic food. The overwhelming consensus at the Food and Drug Administration are that not only are GMOs different, they are characteristically dangerous. It has been argued that genetically modified foods have created allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. GM foods do not offer complete health guarantees for consumers, and raise questions about possible long-term health side effects, particularly allergy risks. GMO-seeds are solely created to be immune to weed kill products and offer the consumer nothing. Genetic foods don’t taste better, they are not cheaper, and most certainly they are not healthier. Even though crops are immune to insecticides and pesticides, the fact remains that these chemicals remain in our food supply. Corporations like Monsanto are capable of mass production at minimal cost for its corporation that provides a huge profit gain with no accountability for the health and welfare for the public. The public has a right to know if it is in fact eating GMO or non-GMO products.
Without a strong base of diverse seeds, food production is threatened.
Promoting the use of diverse seed types enhances food security and promotes the preservation of traditional cultural practices and ideals. Big agriculture has created seeds that are detrimental to seed diversity. Eventually organic seeds will become extinct due to the fact that the marketing and financial backing maintained by GMO corporations will overpower all other types of natural farming. In his statement, local farmer, author Eric Herm pleads “We need to become more self-sufficient and not dependent on multinational corporations. We need to become stewards of the earth instead of miners; localize food production and grow what we can in each region” (Roseboro). This quote verifies the need for naturally, organic farming for reasons of natural and generational purposes. Seed heirlooms are incredibly important and essential for seed diversity of agriculture. Agriculture customs, techniques, and seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation are being threatened by genetic crop growers and will eventually take over the entire agricultural industry unless something is done about
it.
In conclusion, genetically modified organisms have changed the way we grow and engineer food. There is a little to be said about the good that can come from mass production of crops worldwide. But there is much uncertainty in the aspects of health, environment and the economics in GMO farming. There needs to be more testing of these genetic foods before they end up on shelves at the grocery store. Labeling of GMO food should be mandatory to give the public a choice of whether or not they decide to eat them or not. These products should never be forced on people without knowledge of what it contains. As we continue to grow in population, we must find alternative ways to accommodate the supply and demand of our food. The governments around the world must increase their standards for testing GMOs for the safety of society and the generations to come.
Works Cited
Ackerman, Jennifer. "Food-how-altered." National Geographic. National Geographic Magazine, May 2002. Web. 24 Sept. 2013
Kimbrell, Andrew. "Center for Food Safety." Center for Food Safety. N.p., 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2013
Null, Gary. "Seeds of Death." Youtube.com. March against Monsanto.com, 24 May 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
Phillips, Theresa. “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology. ”Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
Roff, Robin Jane. "No Alternative? The Politics and History of Non-GMO Certification."Agriculture and Human Values 26.4 (2009): 351-63. Print.
Roseboro, Ken. "Information to Ensure a Safe, Healthy, Sustainable Food Supply." non-gmoreport.com N.p., 1 June 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
.
about the serious health and environmental risks of genetically modified crops and industrial agriculture (Null Seeds of Death). Deception and corruption lie beneath both the science supporting GMOs and the corporations and governments supporting them. So where does it leave the small business farmer? How healthy is it? How will it affect seeds given to us by Mother Nature? These questions and others will be addressed to try and make sense of why this process of genetically modifying organisms has Americans deeply concerned. Genetically modified organisms used in food all over the world may diminish the small farmer, cause disease and unhealthy lifestyles, and reduce seed diversity. The biotech corporation Monsanto has become the new evil empire. As the company continues to grow internationally, the harder it is for non-GMO farmers throughout the world to prosper in growing their crops organically or naturally. Gary Nulls states that “President Obama signed the spending bill HR 933 into law, which was largely concerned with the threat of government shutdown. However, submerged in the fine print was Section 735, the Farmer Assurance Provision which stops federal courts from being able to terminate the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified organisms and genetically engineered seeds. This is what critics have called the Monsanto Protection Act” (Null Seeds of Death). This statement explains how deep the biotech corporation has infiltrated the government. What chance does the small time farmer have in fighting this type of super power? Here is a fact. A judge in Canada ruled that if a non-GMO farmer crop is planted next to a GMO crop and is contaminated with GMO seeds, the organic farmer will no longer own the crops in his field. So the entire profit for that contaminated crop will go to the Monsanto Corporation because GMO-seed is patented property.
Many types of situations as this have the organic farm community living in fear. If the government continues to shove the organic framer over this will disrupt the natural flow of our economy and support a chemical company to decide what is safe for the consumers of this world to eat. The bottom line is this: Genetically modified food can be engineered in ways that make it most profitable to the company and not to the organic farmer, nor the consumer. Many small business farmers cannot compete with the manufacturing speed and financial support biotech companies have attained through the sustenance of high government officials. Another factor in the financial aspect of GMO farming is that seed prices for farmers are also soaring. Biotech cotton seed with the Roundup Ready trait costs up to $320 per bag, and conventional seed costs less than $30 per bag (Roseboro Non GMO). The cost of herbicide in combination with the higher price of genetically modified crops creates a tough economic environment for the small farmer. The already struggling conventional farmer will be taxed for the cost of biotech seed putting him even further into financial strain. For the Monsanto Corporation, the main focus for their existence is financial gain. As the powerful conglomerate pursues biotech engineering of genetically modified organisms, it often downplays and suppresses any knowledge that may hinder their chance or maximize their possibilities to make money. A report by Britain 's Royal Society, one of the country 's most distinguished scientific organization questions whether current safety tests are adequate for GM foods and calls for more research to rule out the possibility that GM foods can cause allergic reactions. The report also expresses concerns over the use of GM soy in baby food, saying babies may be more vulnerable to developing allergies (Non-GMO Report). There is much uncertainty when it involves the testing of genetic food. The overwhelming consensus at the Food and Drug Administration are that not only are GMOs different, they are characteristically dangerous. It has been argued that genetically modified foods have created allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. GM foods do not offer complete health guarantees for consumers, and raise questions about possible long-term health side effects, particularly allergy risks. GMO-seeds are solely created to be immune to weed kill products and offer the consumer nothing. Genetic foods don’t taste better, they are not cheaper, and most certainly they are not healthier. Even though crops are immune to insecticides and pesticides, the fact remains that these chemicals remain in our food supply. Corporations like Monsanto are capable of mass production at minimal cost for its corporation that provides a huge profit gain with no accountability for the health and welfare for the public. The public has a right to know if it is in fact eating GMO or non-GMO products.
Without a strong base of diverse seeds, food production is threatened.
Promoting the use of diverse seed types enhances food security and promotes the preservation of traditional cultural practices and ideals. Big agriculture has created seeds that are detrimental to seed diversity. Eventually organic seeds will become extinct due to the fact that the marketing and financial backing maintained by GMO corporations will overpower all other types of natural farming. In his statement, local farmer, author Eric Herm pleads “We need to become more self-sufficient and not dependent on multinational corporations. We need to become stewards of the earth instead of miners; localize food production and grow what we can in each region” (Roseboro). This quote verifies the need for naturally, organic farming for reasons of natural and generational purposes. Seed heirlooms are incredibly important and essential for seed diversity of agriculture. Agriculture customs, techniques, and seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation are being threatened by genetic crop growers and will eventually take over the entire agricultural industry unless something is done about
it.
In conclusion, genetically modified organisms have changed the way we grow and engineer food. There is a little to be said about the good that can come from mass production of crops worldwide. But there is much uncertainty in the aspects of health, environment and the economics in GMO farming. There needs to be more testing of these genetic foods before they end up on shelves at the grocery store. Labeling of GMO food should be mandatory to give the public a choice of whether or not they decide to eat them or not. These products should never be forced on people without knowledge of what it contains. As we continue to grow in population, we must find alternative ways to accommodate the supply and demand of our food. The governments around the world must increase their standards for testing GMOs for the safety of society and the generations to come.
Works Cited
Ackerman, Jennifer. "Food-how-altered." National Geographic. National Geographic Magazine, May 2002. Web. 24 Sept. 2013
Kimbrell, Andrew. "Center for Food Safety." Center for Food Safety. N.p., 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2013
Null, Gary. "Seeds of Death." Youtube.com. March against Monsanto.com, 24 May 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
Phillips, Theresa. “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology. ”Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
Roff, Robin Jane. "No Alternative? The Politics and History of Non-GMO Certification."Agriculture and Human Values 26.4 (2009): 351-63. Print.
Roseboro, Ken. "Information to Ensure a Safe, Healthy, Sustainable Food Supply." non-gmoreport.com N.p., 1 June 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
.