Monsanto Company
Type	Agriculture/Public (NYSE: MON)
Founded	St. Louis, Missouri (1901)
Headquarters	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Key people	John Francis Queeny (1859–1933), Founder Hugh Grant, Chairman, President, & CEO Terrell K. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A public company usually refers to a company that is permitted to offer its registered securities ( Stock, bonds, etc The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the John Francis Queeny ( August 17, 1859 – March 19, 1933) founded the Monsanto Company in 1901 Crews, CFO Robb Fraley, Chief Technology Officer
Industry	Agriculture
Products	Herbicides, pesticides, crop seeds, rBST
Revenue	▲$8. A chief technical officer or chief technology officer (abbreviated as CTO) is an executive position whose holder is focused on scientific and technical issues within For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services 563 billion USD (2007)
Net income	▲$993 million USD (2007)
Employees	16,500 (May, 2006)
Website	www.monsanto.com

The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. Multinational corporation ( MNC) or transnational corporation ( TNC) is a Corporation or enterprise that manages Production or delivers Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact natural economic and Social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as "Roundup". A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl glycine is a non-selective Systemic Herbicide, absorbed through the leaves injected into the bole or applied to the stump of Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U Monsanto is also by far the leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed, holding 70%–100% market share for various crops. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Agracetus, owned by Monsanto, exclusively produces Roundup Ready soybean seed for the commercial market. The Agracetus Campus of Monsanto is the largest Soybean transformation laboratory in the world In March 2005, it finalized the purchase of Seminis Inc, making it also the largest conventional seed company in the world. Seminis is the largest developer grower and marketer of fruit and vegetable Seeds in the world It has over 16,000 employees worldwide, and an annual revenue of USD$7. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 344 billion reported for 2006. ^[1]

Monsanto's development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and 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 activists. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment.

Contents 1 History of Monsanto 1.1 Spin-offs and mergers 1.2 Sponsorships 2 Corporate governance 3 Environmental and health record 3.1 MON863 liver and kidney toxicity 3.2 "Terminator" seed controversy 3.3 rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) 3.4 Pollution in Anniston, Alabama 4 Crimes 4.1 Dumping of toxic waste in the UK 4.2 Indonesian bribing convictions 4.3 Monsanto fined in France for false advertising 5 Cooperation with BASF 6 Resistance in Europe 7 Soyabean in Argentina 8 Pig controversy 9 Legal issues 9.1 As defendant 9.2 As plaintiff 9.3 Related legal actions 9.3.1 In USA 9.3.2 Monsanto vs Andhra Pradesh Government in India 10 Criticism 10.1 In India 10.1.1 Child labour 10.1.2 Farmer suicides in India 10.2 In the United Kingdom 10.3 In the United States 10.3.1 In Missouri 10.3.2 In Illinois 10.3.3 In Alabama 11 Political contributions 11.1 Lobbying 11.2 Public officials formerly employed by Monsanto 12 Media representation 12.1 Le Monde selon Monsanto 13 See also 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 External links

History of Monsanto

Agriculture
General
Agribusiness · Agriculture Agricultural science · Agronomy Animal husbandry Extensive farming Factory farming · Free range Industrial agriculture Intensive farming Organic farming · Permaculture Sustainable agriculture Urban agriculture
History
History of agriculture Neolithic Revolution Muslim Agricultural Revolution British Agricultural Revolution Green Revolution
Particular
Aquaculture · Christmas trees · Dairy farming Grazing · Hydroponics · IMTA Intensive pig farming · Lumber Maize · Orchard Poultry farming · Ranching · Rice Sheep husbandry · Soybean System of Rice Intensification Wheat
Categories
Agriculture by country Agriculture companies Agriculture companies, U.S. Biotechnology Farming history Livestock Meat processing Poultry farming

Monsanto was founded in St. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture In Agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term that refers to the various Businesses involved in Food production including Farming, Seed Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact natural economic and Social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding Agronomy is the science and technology of using plants for food fuel feed and fiber Animal husbandry, also called Animal science, stockbreeding or simple husbandry, is the agricultural practice of breeding Extensive farming (as opposed to Intensive farming) is an agricultural production system that uses little inputs on vast areas of land such as the Great Plains. Factory farming is the practice of raising Farm animals in confinement at high stocking density where a farm operates as a Factory &mdash a practice typical in Free range is a method of Farming Husbandry where the Animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of Livestock, Poultry, Fish, and Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an Agricultural production system characterized by the high Inputs of Capital, Fertilizers Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on Crop rotation, Green manure, Compost, Biological pest control, and mechanical Cultivation The word permaculture, coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s is a Portmanteau of perma nent agri' Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals environmental Stewardship, Farm Profitability and prosperous Farming communities Urban Agriculture and Peri-Urban Agriculture is the practice of cultivating processing and distributing food in or around (peri-urban a village town or city Agriculture was developed at least 10000 years ago and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation The Neolithic Revolution was the first Agricultural revolution &mdashthe transition from hunting and gathering communities and bands to Agriculture and The Islamic Golden Age from the 8th century to the 13th century witnessed a fundamental transformation in Agriculture known as the Arab Agricultural The British Agricultural Revolution describes a period of development in Britain between the 18th century and the end of the 19th century which saw a massive increase in agricultural The Green Revolution refers to the transformation of Agriculture that began in 1945 at the request of the Mexican government to establish an agricultural research station to Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including Molluscs Crustaceans and aquatic plants Christmas tree cultivation is an agricultural, Forestry, and horticultural occupation which involves growing Pine, Spruce, and Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an Animal husbandry enterprise for long-term production of Milk, which may be either processed on-site or Grazing generally describes a type of Predation in which an Herbivore feeds on Plants (such as Grasses, or more broadly on a multicellular Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro (water and ponos (labour is a method of growing Plants using mineral Nutrient solutions without Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA is a practice in which the by-products (wastes from one species are recycled to become inputs ( Fertilizers Food) for another Intensive piggeries (or hog lots) are a type of Factory farm specialized for the raising of Domestic pigs up to slaughter weight Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica An orchard is an intentional planting of Trees or Shrubs maintained for Food production. Poultry farming is the practice of raising Poultry, such as Chickens turkeys ducks geese, as a subcategory of Animal husbandry A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of Domestic sheep, and a subcategory of Animal husbandry. The System of Rice Intensification ( SRI) is a method of increasing the yield of Rice produced in Farming. Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Louis, Missouri, in 1901, by John Francis Queeny, a 30-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. John Francis Queeny ( August 17, 1859 – March 19, 1933) founded the Monsanto Company in 1901 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. Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or The company's first product was the artificial sweetener saccharin, which it sold to the Coca-Cola Company. Saccharin is an Artificial sweetener. The basic substance Benzoic sulfinide, has effectively no Food energy and is about 300 times as sweet as The Coca-Cola Company ( is the world's largest beverage company largest manufacturer distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and Syrups in the world It also introduced caffeine and vanillin to Coca-Cola, and became one of that company's main suppliers. Caffeine is a bitter white crystalline Xanthine Alkaloid that acts as a Psychoactive Stimulant Drug and a mild Diuretic Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an Organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3 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. Cefn Mawr is a Village in the community of Cefn within the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. Early history There is evidence that a settlement existed in Ruabon in the Bronze Age. Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an Organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3 Salicylic acid (from the Latin word for the willow tree Salix, from whose bark it can be obtained is a Beta hydroxy acid (BHA with the formula Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA (əˌsɛtɨlsælɨˌsɪlɨk ˈæsɨd is a Salicylate drug, often used as an Analgesic to relieve

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. Sulfuric (or sulphuric acid, H 2 S[[oxygen O]]4 is a strong Mineral acid.

The 1940s saw Monsanto become a leading manufacturer of plastics, including polystyrene, and synthetic fibers. Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products Polystyrene ˌpɒliˈstaɪriːn ( IUPAC Polyphenylethene is an aromatic Polymer made from the aromatic Monomer Styrene Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by Scientists to improve upon naturally occurring Animal and plant 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 growth hormone; BST), and PCBs^[2]. Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U Aspartame (or APM) (ˈæspɚteɪm or /əˈspɑrteɪm/ is the name for an artificial non- Saccharide Sweetener, aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl NutraSweet is a company that makes and sells Aspartame, an artificial Sugar substitute. Growth hormone ( GH) is a Peptide hormone that stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed 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 Atomic Energy Commission. The Dayton Project was one of several sites involved in the Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bombs The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control In 1947, an accidental explosion of ammonium nitrate fertilizer loaded on the French ship S. The Chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the Nitrate of Ammonia with the chemical formula N[[Hydrogen H]]4 N[[Oxygen O]]3 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size S. Grandcamp destroyed an adjacent Monsanto styrene manufacturing plant, along with much of the port at Galveston Bay. Styrene, also known as vinyl benzene as well as many other names (see table is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula C6H5CH=CH2 Galveston Bay is a large Estuary located along Texas 's upper coast The explosion, known as the Texas City Disaster, is considered the largest industrial accident in US history, with the highest death toll. The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, started with the mid-morning fire and detonation of approximately 2300 tons of Ammonium nitrate on board the Industrial disasters are mass Disasters caused by industrial companies either by accident Negligence or incompetence 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 polyurethanes in the US. For other uses see Bayer (disambiguation or Beyer or Buyer. Bayer AG (German ˈbaɪə () is a German Mobay Chemical Corporation, based in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, was a joint venture of Monsanto and Bayer to market Polyurethanes in the A polyurethane, commonly abbreviated PU, is any Polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links In the 1960s and 1970s, Monsanto became the leading producer of Agent Orange for US Military operations in Vietnam. Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

In 1980, Monsanto established the Edgar Monsanto Queeny safety award in honor of its former CEO (1928–1960), to encourage accident prevention.

Monsanto scientists became the first to genetically modify a plant cell in 1982. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct 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 (GLC) for $125 million. Phe redirects here For the BitTorrent feature see PHE. For the constellation see Phoenix (constellation. 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. William S Knowles (born June 1, 1917) is an American Chemist. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Nobelpriset i kemi is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of Chemistry.

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 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. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an 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. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian 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. Canola is a type of Edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s Percy Schmeiser (born January 5 1931) is a Farmer from Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada. " 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. Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 ^[3] 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. ^[4]

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. The United States Patent and Trademark Office ( PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues Patents to 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. ^[5] 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. GD Searle & Company or just Searle was a company focusing on life sciences specifically pharmaceuticals agriculture and animal health 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. Solutia Inc ( is a Chemical production company It was formed in 1997 as a Spin-off of Monsanto Company. This transfers the financial liability related to the production and contamination with PCBs at the Illinois and Alabama plants. Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed 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. Pharmacia was a Pharmaceutical company in Sweden. History Pharmacia was founded in 1911 in Stockholm, Sweden The Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm founded in 1886 in Kalamazoo Michigan by Dr 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 Celebrex. Celecoxib ( INN) (sɛlɨˈkɒksɪb is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID used in the treatment of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis

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. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels

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. Tomorrowland is one of the many "themed lands" at the many theme parks owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world .

Monsanto has also been one of many sponsors behind Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure Seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote

Corporate governance

Current members of the board of directors of Monsanto are: Frank V. AtLee III, John W. Bachmann, Hugh Grant, Arthur H. Harper, Gwendolyn S. King, Sharon R. Gwendolyn S King (born in East Orange New Jersey) is an American Businesswoman. Long, C. Steven McMillan, William U. Parfet, George H. Poste, Robert J. George Poste, FRS is the Director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Stevens.

Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the FDA and EPA and even the Supreme Court. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. These include Clarence Thomas, Michael Taylor, Ann Veneman and Linda Fisher. Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Ann Margaret Veneman (born June 29, 1949) is currently the Executive Director of UNICEF. Linda Fisher has even been back and forth between positions at Monsanto and the EPA. Linda J Fisher is currently the Vice President of Dupont. Biography Education Law degree from Ohio State University

Donald Rumsfeld reportedly earned $12 million from increased stock value when G. D. Searle & Company was sold to Monsanto in 1985. Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President GD Searle & Company or just Searle was a company focusing on life sciences specifically pharmaceuticals agriculture and animal health ^[6]

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. Superfund is the common name for the United States environmental policy officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act ^[7] 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. ^[2][8][9] 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. A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U 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,^[10][11] 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". Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled ^[12].

Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications explained the company's regulatory philosophy to Michael Pollan in 1998:

“

Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Michael Pollan (born February 6, 1955) is an American author columnist activist and professor of Journalism and director of the Knight Program in Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is FDA's job. [13]

”

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. MON863 is a Genetically modified (GM variety of maize produced by Monsanto and approved for human consumption in the European Union. 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. ^[14]

"Terminator" seed controversy

Main article: 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. ^[15]

rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone)

Main article: 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, among them, raising levels of pus, antibiotic residues, and a cancer accelerating hormone called IGF-1. Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. 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 has an adverse affect on 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. ^[16] According to the New York Times^[17] 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. Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. 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. 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 Dick Wolff, who tried to ban rBST-free milk 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. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.

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. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States. ^[18]

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. A general contractor is a group or individual that Contracts with another organization or individual (the owner for the Construction or Renovation Toxic waste is waste material often in chemical form that can cause death or injury to living creatures The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For other uses see Water treatment and Land reclamation. A landfill, also known as a dump (and historically as Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants animals and other organisms An English Noun The English noun people has two distinct fields of application as a countable noun, a group of Humans The Environment Agency said the chemicals were found to be polluting groundwater and the atmosphere 30 years after they were dumped. The Environment Agency (Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations An atmosphere (from Greek ατμός - atmos, " Vapor " + σφαίρα - sphaira, " Sphere " ^[19]

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. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or Minerals are extracted Toxic waste is waste material often in chemical form that can cause death or injury to living creatures A UK government report shows that 67 chemicals, including Agent Orange derivatives, dioxins and PCBs exclusively made by Monsanto, are leaking from one unlined porous quarry that was not authorized to take chemical wastes. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or Minerals are extracted It emerged that the groundwater has been polluted since the 1970s. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations ^[20] 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 clean up the site in south Wales, called "one of the most contaminated" in the UK. The Environment Agency (Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Generally remediation means providing a Remedy, so environmental remediation deals with the removal of Pollution or Contaminants from environmental South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales ^[21]

Indonesian bribing convictions

In January 2005, Monsanto agreed to pay a $1. 5m fine for bribing an Indonesian official. Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it in an Organisation or 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. Management consulting refers to both the industry of and the practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing business problems An ( EIA) is an assessment of the possible impact&ndashpositive or negative&ndashthat a proposed project may have on the Natural environment. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Monsanto told the company to disguise an invoice for the bribe as "consulting fees". Management consulting refers to both the industry of and the practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing business problems 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 charges from the Department of Justice and the SEC. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility 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. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility ^[22]

Monsanto fined in France for false advertising

Monsanto was fined $19,000 in a French court on January 26th, 2007 for misleading the public about the environmental impact of its record selling herbicide Roundup. Glossary and basic concepts Note There exist significant problems with applying non-French terminology and concepts related to law and justice to the French justice system An ( EIA) is an assessment of the possible impact&ndashpositive or negative&ndashthat a proposed project may have on the Natural environment. A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U 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. False advertising is the use of false or misleading statements in Advertising. Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel 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. Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl glycine is a non-selective Systemic Herbicide, absorbed through the leaves injected into the bole or applied to the stump of The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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. Consumer organizations are Advocacy groups that seek to protect people from Corporate abuse. ^[23].

Cooperation with BASF

Monsanto is cooperating with BASF in research, development and marketing of biotechnology. BASF SE () is a German chemical company and the largest chemical company in the world BASF SE () is a German chemical company and the largest chemical company in the world ^[24]

Resistance in Europe

Europeans have been resisting genetically modified food for a long time. Genetically modified (GM foods are food items that have had their DNA changed through Genetic engineering. Monsanto has been facing stiff resistance from the European Union over its portfolio of GM foods. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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. Traceability refers to the completeness of the information about every step in a process chain Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. 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. Mandatory labelling or labeling (see Spelling differences) is the requirement of consumer products to state their ingredients or components These actions severely affected Monsanto as labeling foods as GM would stigmatise the foods. ^[25] 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. ^[26] Despite that, EU member Spain, a country with traditionally low consumer awareness, has been extensively producing GM products which are also exported to the other EU member states. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

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. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. 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. In Agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for Money. 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. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change 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. Soils retrogression and degradation in the French school of pedology are two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable Soil A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. 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. ^[27]

Pig controversy

After getting involved in the Soya controversies, Monsanto found itself in the midst of another controversy with its "Pig Patent". A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against In 2005, Monsanto had filed two patents for processes which controlled the breeding and the herds of pigs. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an This resulted in Monsanto being under scrutiny for ownership rights over pigs and their offspring. Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property 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. Royalties (sometimes running royalties) are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee" to another (the "licensor" for ongoing use of an 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. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change ^[28]

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. Patent infringement is the act of utilizing a patented Invention without permission from the Patent holder 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 lawsuits against them like they did to the soya and corn farmers. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy 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. ^[29]

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 foods 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. Genetically modified (GM foods are food items that have had their DNA changed through Genetic engineering. 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. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. True shrimp are swimming decapod Crustaceans classified in the Infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one 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 lawsuits, as both plaintiff and defendant. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy A plaintiff ( Π in Legal shorthand) also known as a claimant or complainant, is the party who initiates a Lawsuit A defendant or defender ( Δ in Legal shorthand) is any party who is required to answer the Complaint of a Plaintiff 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. In Law, a class action or a representative action is a form of Lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Monsanto has also made frequent use of the courts to defend its patents, particularly in the area of biotechnology. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine.

As defendant

In 1917, the US government filed suit against Monsanto over the safety of its original product, saccharin. Saccharin is an Artificial sweetener. The basic substance Benzoic sulfinide, has effectively no Food energy and is about 300 times as sweet as Monsanto eventually won, after several years in court.

It was sued, along with 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. The Dow Chemical Company () is an American Multinational corporation headquartered in Midland Michigan. Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ^[30]

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 PCB byproducts. Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States. Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed 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. ^[31] On February 22 2002, Monsanto was found guilty of “negligence, wantonness, suppression of truth, nuisance, trespass, and outrage. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne ”^[32]

On October 13th, 2004, the European plant variety rights on a conventionally-bred strain of soft-milling wheat owned by French company RAGT Genetique were withdrawn at RAGT's request. Plant breeders' rights (PBR also known as plant variety rights (PVR are Intellectual property rights granted to the breeder of a new variety Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 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. Unilever is a Multi-national corporation, formed of Anglo - Dutch parentage that owns many of the world's Consumer product brands Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for 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. Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 RAGT says it withdrew its plant variety rights for commercial reasons and Greenpeace played no role in its decision. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae.

Also in 2004, the world's largest agrichemical company, Switzerland's Syngenta, launched a US lawsuit charging Monsanto with using coercive tactics to monopolize markets. Agrichemical (or agrochemical) a contraction of agricultural chemical, is a generic term for the various Chemical products used in Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Syngenta AG is a large global Agribusiness which markets Seeds and crop protection products ( Pesticides) A tactic is a conceptual action used by a military unit of no larger than a division to implement a specific mission and achieve a specific objective or to advance toward a In Economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos, alone or single + polein, to sell exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient ^[33] There are several lawsuits going both ways between Monsanto and Syngenta.

Monsanto is on trial in Carcassonne, France, 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. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 50 tonnes were sent back to the USA. ^[34]

As plaintiff

Since the mid-1990s, it has sued some 150 US farmers for patent infringement in connection with its GE seed. Patent infringement is the act of utilizing a patented Invention without permission from the Patent holder 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. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law 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 State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. 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. "^[35]

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. ^[36] 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. ^[37] This genetic engineering has brought more problems than just cornering the market. ^[38] In 1998 Monsanto's patented seeds infected and pollenated farmland, established for forty years, owned by Percy Schmeiser. Percy Schmeiser (born January 5 1931) is a Farmer from Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada. 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 level. Monsanto Canada Inc v Schmeiser 1 SCR 902 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on Patent rights for Biotechnology. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian Monsanto sued an independent farmer, Percy Schmeiser, for patent infringement for growing genetically modified Roundup resistant canola. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U Canola is a type of Edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s 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. ^[39] 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. Small claims courts are Courts of limited jurisdiction that hear civil cases between private litigants 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. ^[40] In the settlement, Monsanto Canada assumed no liability. ^[41]

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.

Related legal actions

In USA

In 1997, Fox News reportedly bowed to pressure from Monsanto to suppress an investigative report on the health risks associated with Monsanto's bovine growth hormone product, Posilac. Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the Pituitary glands of Cattle. [1] 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. Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. The term " first world " refers to countries that are capitalist, which are technologically advanced and whose The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Fox pressured its reporters, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, to alter their report, despite evidence that Monsanto had lied about the risks of contaminated milk and infected cattle. Steve Wilson is Chief Investigative Reporter for WXYZ-TV in Detroit Michigan. Jane Akre and her husband Steve Wilson are former employees of Fox owned-and-operated station WTVT in Tampa Florida Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. An infection is the detrimental Colonization of a host Organism by a foreign Species. The reporters refused to comply, and were eventually fired. Wilson and Akre then sued Fox News in Florida state court, claiming they could not be fired for refusing to do something that they believed to be illegal. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the 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. This is an article about a term For the 2008 RTÉ drama see Whistleblower (TV series. The reporters' struggle with Fox News is ongoing. The findings in their original report were never directly challenged.

This story can be seen in the feature length documentary film The Corporation. The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian Documentary film critical of the modern-day Corporation, considering it as a class of Person and

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. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 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. [2]. The order was later lifted. More recently, the Andhra Pradesh state government filed several cases^[42] 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. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial 900 per pack of 450 grams of Bt. Cotton seed. [3][4]. 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 genes in its seed. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 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. ^[43][44] In 2003 Brazil followed suit with a similar protest in Goias. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Goiás (goˈjajs is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country ^[45]

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. Endosulfan is a neurotoxic Organochlorine Insecticide of the Cyclodiene family of Pesticides It is an Endocrine disruptor 20 (half dollar) per day. ^[46] 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. ^[47] 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, 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. ^[48][49] This problem has been exacerbated by current corporate influence in the government: whereas in the past government experts would give knowledgeable advice to farmers, now such positions are often filled by corporate representatives who receive incentives for promoting company products.

In India, Monsanto's GM seed business is run by a joint venture, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMB) India Ltd. ^[50] and markets its BT Cotton seeds under various names. The Andhra Pradesh government has registered a case against Monsanto for its high seed prices. ^[51]

In the United Kingdom

Monsanto dumped thousands of tons of waste containing PCBs in a quarry near Groesfaen, Wales. ^[52]

In the United States

The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition listed 112 lawsuits by Monsanto against farmers for claims of seed patent violations. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN pronounced sif'-san is the branch of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA which regulates food Dietary supplements ^[53] The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Science Policy 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. ^[54]

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. "^[55]

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. ^[56] 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. ^[57]

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. ^[58][59]

In Illinois

Monsanto Chemical company founded and incorporated the town of Sauget, Illinois, to avoid taxation from East Saint Louis. Sauget is a village in St Clair County, Illinois, United States. East St Louis is a city located in St Clair County Illinois, USA directly across the Mississippi River from St 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 cities decline throughout the latter half of the 20th century.

In Alabama

Monsanto is accused to encouraging residents of Anniston, Alabama to use soil known by the company to be contaminated with PCBs as top soil. Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed ^[60]

Political contributions

Monsanto gave $106,500 to federal candidates in the 05/06 election cycle through its political action committee (PAC) - 32% to Democrats, 68% to Republicans. In the US, a Political Action Committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group regardless of size organized to elect political candidates The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ^[61]

Lobbying

The company spent $3,640,000 for lobbying in 2006. Lobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures Lobbyists may also represent $680,000 was to outside lobbying firms with the remainder being spent using in-house lobbyists. ^[62]

Public officials formerly employed by Monsanto

• Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the 2001 Supreme Court decision 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. ^[63][64][65]

• 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. ^[66]

• Dr. Michael A. Friedman was a deputy commissioner of the F. D. A. before he was hired as a senior vice president of Monsanto. ^[67]

• 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. ^[68]

• Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and chief executive officer of G. Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President D. Searle & Co. , which Monsanto purchased the company in 1985. Rumsfeld personally made at least $12 million USD from the transaction. ^[69]

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. The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian Documentary film critical of the modern-day Corporation, considering it as a class of Person and The Future of Food is a 2004 Documentary film which makes an in-depth investigation into unlabelled patented genetically engineered foods Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 Michael Clayton is a 2007 American dramatic Legal thriller Film written and directed by Tony Gilroy and produced Barlett and James B. Steele^[70]

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. ^[71][72] 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. 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). Revolving Door Syndrome is an informal expression which refers to Recidivism; any recurring contact of criminals with the Criminal justice system is compared to the 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

Bibliography

• Monsanto fined for bribery
• Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser, Federal Court of Canada decision
• Schmeiser v. Monsanto Canada Inc., Federal Court of Appeal decision
• Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser, Supreme Court of Canada decision
• Monsanto Buys Final Calgene Shares
• Monsanto's part in Disneyland history
• Monsanto vs Bees
• Monsanto BGH lawsuit
• After killer cotton, killer brinjal?
• Marie-Monique Robin: Le Monde selon Monsanto - De la dioxine aux OGM, une multinationale qui vous veut du bien. Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne is a Franco-German TV network. Google Video is a free video sharing website and also a video service from Google that allows anyone to upload Video Clips to Google's web Coédition Arte / La Découverte, 2008. Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne is a Franco-German TV network. Éditions Gallimard is one of the leading French Publishers of books (Book ISBN 2707149187 or 978-270714918 and DVD-ASIN: B001684BP0 ). English: "The World According to Monsanto"

External links

• Monsanto's Official Website
• Hoover's Online: Monsanto Company Capsule
• SourceWatch on Monsanto
• Monsanto Watch
• Millions Against Monsanto
• Photos of the Monsanto Plant after the 1947 Texas City Disaster hosted by the Portal to Texas History
• Critical documentairy about Monsanto patented pigs
• Biotech Companies Race for Drought-Tolerant Crops
• Critical documentary of Monsato's business practices.
• Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear from Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair A Novel without a Hero is a Novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1847-48 that satirizes society in early

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