Project Censored
  • Support Our Work
  • Store
  • About
    • Mission
    • Who We Are
    • Media Freedom Foundation
    • Classroom
    • History of Project Censored
    • Our Work
    • Project Censored Summer Internships
    • Endorsements
    • The Newest Project Censored Movie
    • Events
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Radio Show
    • The Project Censored Show

      Swedish “Neutrality,” Issues With NATO, and Oil Politics…

      May 23, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Global Civil War: Capitalism Post Pandemic

      May 16, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      PayPal, US/NATO, Biden’s Disinformation Governance Board, Roe vs….

      May 9, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Book Banning on the Rise in the US

      May 6, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Special Guests Valena Beety, Geoff Davidian, and Dr….

      April 25, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Special Guests Leonardo Flores and Jacquie Luqman Discuss…

      April 19, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Big Tech Censorship With Special Guests Chris Hedges…

      April 12, 2022

  • Notebook
    • All Newsletters
      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER MAY 2022

      May 19, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER April 2022

      April 16, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – March 2022

      March 25, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – February 2022

      February 21, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      Arrests Aim to Silence Kashmiri Journalists and Human…

      February 5, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      Cal State Poly, Pomona Professor Accused of Anti-Semitism

      January 31, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER MAY 2022

      May 19, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER April 2022

      April 16, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – March 2022

      March 25, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – February 2022

      February 21, 2022

      Newsletters

      The Project Censored Newsletter—January 2022

      January 26, 2022

      Newsletters

      The Project Censored Newsletter—December 2021

      December 11, 2021

  • News
    • Validated Independent News

      State of the Billionaire Press: Concerns over Media…

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      McDonald’s Dodged Millions in Taxes with an IOU…

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Donor-Advised Funds Take Advantage of Tax Loopholes

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Book Donation Bans in US Prisons Restrict Prisoners’…

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      St. Jude Hoards Billions While Running Misleading Advertising…

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      US Transportation System “Fuels” Inequality

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Former Neo-Nazi Leader Now Holds DOJ Domestic Counterterrorism…

      April 20, 2022

Project Censored

  • Support Our Work
  • Store
  • About
    • Mission
    • Who We Are
    • Media Freedom Foundation
    • Classroom
    • History of Project Censored
    • Our Work
    • Project Censored Summer Internships
    • Endorsements
    • The Newest Project Censored Movie
    • Events
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Radio Show
    • The Project Censored Show

      Swedish “Neutrality,” Issues With NATO, and Oil Politics…

      May 23, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Global Civil War: Capitalism Post Pandemic

      May 16, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      PayPal, US/NATO, Biden’s Disinformation Governance Board, Roe vs….

      May 9, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Book Banning on the Rise in the US

      May 6, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Special Guests Valena Beety, Geoff Davidian, and Dr….

      April 25, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Special Guests Leonardo Flores and Jacquie Luqman Discuss…

      April 19, 2022

      The Project Censored Show

      Big Tech Censorship With Special Guests Chris Hedges…

      April 12, 2022

  • Notebook
    • All Newsletters
      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER MAY 2022

      May 19, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER April 2022

      April 16, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – March 2022

      March 25, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – February 2022

      February 21, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      Arrests Aim to Silence Kashmiri Journalists and Human…

      February 5, 2022

      Censored Notebook

      Cal State Poly, Pomona Professor Accused of Anti-Semitism

      January 31, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER MAY 2022

      May 19, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER April 2022

      April 16, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – March 2022

      March 25, 2022

      Newsletters

      THE PROJECT CENSORED NEWSLETTER – February 2022

      February 21, 2022

      Newsletters

      The Project Censored Newsletter—January 2022

      January 26, 2022

      Newsletters

      The Project Censored Newsletter—December 2021

      December 11, 2021

  • News
    • Validated Independent News

      State of the Billionaire Press: Concerns over Media…

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      McDonald’s Dodged Millions in Taxes with an IOU…

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Donor-Advised Funds Take Advantage of Tax Loopholes

      April 21, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Book Donation Bans in US Prisons Restrict Prisoners’…

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      St. Jude Hoards Billions While Running Misleading Advertising…

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      US Transportation System “Fuels” Inequality

      April 20, 2022

      Validated Independent News

      Former Neo-Nazi Leader Now Holds DOJ Domestic Counterterrorism…

      April 20, 2022

3. Monsanto’s Genetically Modified seeds Threaten world Production

by Project Censored April 30, 2010
April 30, 2010

Sources: MOJO WIRE Title: “A Seedy Business” http://www.motherjones.com/news_wire/broydo.html http://www.motherjones.corn/news_wire /usda-inc.html, Date: April 27, 1998, Author: Leora Broydo; THIRD WORLD RESURGENCE #92 Title: “New Patent Aims to Prevent Farmers From Saving Seed,” Author: Chakravarthi Raghavan; GLOBAL PESTICIDE CAMPAIGNER and EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL, Title: “Terminator Seeds Threaten an End to Farming,” Date: June 1998, Fall 1998, Authors: Hope Shand and Pat Mooney; THE ECOLOGIST, Title: “Monsanto: A Checkered History,” and “Revolving Doors: Monsanto and the Regulators,” Date: September/October 1998, Vol. 28, No. 5, Author: Brian Tokar

SSU Censored Researchers: Tom Ladegaard, Amber Manfree, and Amy Loucks
SSU Faculty Evaluators: Paul Benko and Tom Lough

Over the 12,000 years that humans have been farming, a rich tradition of seed saving has developed. Men and women choose seeds from the plants that are best adapted to their own locale and trade them within the community, enhancing crop diversity and success rates. All this may change in the next four to five years. Monsanto Corporation has been working to consolidate the world seed market and is now poised to introduce new genetically engineered seeds that will produce only infertile seeds at the end of the farming cycle. Farmers will no longer be able to save seeds from year to year and will be forced to purchase new seeds from Monsanto each year.

On March 3, 1998, Delta Land and Pine Company, a large American cotton seed company, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they had been awarded a patent on a technique that genetically disables a seed’s ability to germinate when planted a second season. This patent covers not only the cotton and tobacco varieties, but, potentially, all cultivated crops. Scarcely two months after the patent was awarded, Monsanto, the world’s third largest seed corporation and second largest agrochemical corporation, began the process of acquiring Delta Land and Pine and with it the rights to this new technology.

It is noteworthy that the USDA stands to earn 5 percent royalties of net sales if this technology is commercialized. Historically the USDA has received government money for research aimed at benefiting farmers, but recently the USDA has been turning more and more often to private companies for funding. As a result, for the first time in history, research is being done for the benefit of corporations, sometimes in direct opposition to farmers’ interests.

In an interview with Leora Broydo, Melvin Oliver, USDA researcher on the patent-producing technique, stated that the research is a way to put “billions of dollars spent on research back into the system.” When Broydo called back to ask exactly whose billions would be recouped by USDA’s patent, Oliver said he had been instructed not to speak to the press any further.

Dubbed “Terminator technology” by Hope Shand of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), Monsanto’s new seeds have diverse implications, including the disruption of traditional farming practices around the world, the altering of the earth’s biodiversity, and possible impacts on human health.

Monsanto has euphemistically called the process by which seeds are disabled the “technology protection system.” A primary objective of Terminator technology is to grant and protect corporate rights to charge fees for patents on products that are genetically modified. Terminator technology offers no advantage by itself, but when coupled with the production of the strongest, highest yielding seeds, farmers may be compelled to buy single-season plants. Due to the nature of modern farming, many farmers will have little choice. Up to this point the boldest attempt at policing crops has been made by Monsanto, who hires Pinkerton agents to ferret out wayward American farmers who save patented soybean seeds for reuse or trade. However, this method is minimally effective in foreign markets.

Genetic engineering is still in its early stages and the effects of flooding the environment with extensive transgenic monocrops are unpredictable. Traits from genetically engineered plants can sometimes be passed on to wild relatives in the area, causing genetic pollution, which has the potential to alter ecosystems in unknown ways for an indefinite period of time.

Terminator plants, if introduced on a wide scale, will effectively constrict worldwide crop diversity by preventing farmers from engaging in the seed selection and cross breeding that has, for thousands of years, given them the ability to adapt crops to local conditions. Crop uniformity increases vulnerability to pests and disease and heightens the potential for mass famine.

UPDATE BY AUTHORS HOPE SHAM AHD PAT MOONEY: “RAFI’s story on Terminator seed technology alerted the world to a dangerous new genetic technology that threatens to eliminate the right of farmers to save seeds from their harvest. This technology offers no agronomic benefit to farmers—it is designed simply to increase seed industry profits by forcing farmers to return to the commercial seed market every year.

“Terminator technology is a threat to global food security because it is aimed for use in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where over 1.4 billion people—primarily poor farmers—depend on farm-saved seed.

“There is an avalanche of public opposition to this technology. When we learned that Monsanto had entered into neg-otiations with the USDA to obtain an exclusive license on the Terminator patent, we launched an international email protest campaign on our Web site. In recent months over 3,500 people have written to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman from 60 countries, urging him to cease negotiations with Monsanto, abandon research on Terminator, and withdraw patent claims that are pending in over 87 countries.

“The specter of genetic seed sterilization is so serious that the world’s largest network of agricultural researchers adopted a policy in October 1998 prohibiting the use of the technology in its Third World plant-breeding programs. India’s agriculture minister says he will ban the import of Terminator seeds because of the potential harm Indian agriculture. Terminator technology is on the 1999 agenda of two United Nations agencies. Civil society organizations and national governments aim to reject the Terminator patent on the basis of public morality.”

For more information: http://www.rafi.org.

UPDATE BY AUTHOR BRIAN TOKAR: “The Ecologist magazine’s special issue on Monsanto has helped crystallize a growing, worldwide opposition to the company’s aggressive promotion of its genetically engineered crop varieties. When The Ecologist’s printer of 26 years refused to release the magazine and discarded 14,000 copies, citing fears of a libel suit, the ensuing controversy helped contribute to Monsanto’s rapidly deteriorating image all across Europe and worldwide. Public controversies over genetically engineered foods have escalated throughout Europe, as well as in Latin America, East Asia, and elsewhere. A farmers’ movement in southern India burned test plots of Monsanto’s pesticide-secreting cotton in November of 1998, calling for a worldwide campaign to ‘Cremate Monsanto.’

“The Ecologist story has received little play in the United States, outside of alternative outlets such as Z Magazine, the Multinational Monitor, and various electronic mailing lists for opponents of biotechnology. Still, opposition is growing here as well, and Monsanto has faced declining stock values and the collapse of its planned merger with the pharma-ceutical giant American Home Products.

Farmers report persistent problems with Monsanto’s genetically engineered corn and cotton varieties, and there is growing evidence that biotech crops contaminate neighboring fields with their pollen. A new coalition of biotech opponents and environmental activists in the Northeast has called for a nationwide campaign against the sale of genetically engineered seeds.”

CONTACTS:

New England Resistance Against Genetic Engineering
c/o Institute for Social Ecology
P.O. Box 89, Plainfield, VT 05667
(802) 454-8493
[email protected]

Biodevastation Network
c/o Edmonds Institute 20319-92nd Avenue, West Edmonds, WA 98020
(425) 775-5383
[email protected]

Gateway Green Alliance P.O. Box 8094, St. Louis, MO 63156
(314) 727-8554
[email protected]

London-based genetics e-mail list:
[email protected]
http://www.dmac.co.uk/gen/genup.html

Campaign for Food Safety
http://www purefood.org

Rural Advancement Foundation International
http://www.rafi.ca

Union of Concerned Scientists
http://www.ucsusa.org/agriculture/ biotech.html

International Center for Technology Assessment
http://www.icta.org

Review Article with Credder
Amber ManfreeAmy LoucksBrian TokarDeltaearth island journalHOPE SHAMMelvin OliverMonsantoOliverPaul BenkoRAFISeedssu facultytechnologyTerminatorTom Ladegaardtom loughU.S. DepartmentUSDAworld resurgence
0
FacebookTwitter
previous post
2. Chemical Corporations Profit Off Breast Cancer
next post
4. Recycled Radioactive Metals May Be in Your Home

You may also like

25. ABC Broadcasts Slanted Report on Mumia Abu-Jamal

April 30, 2010

24. Coca-Cola Fails to Meet Recycling Pledge

April 30, 2010

23. Bureau of Land Management Charged With Human...

April 30, 2010

22. Academia at Risk as Tenured Professors Vanish

April 30, 2010

21. Global Oil Reserves Alarmingly Over-Estimated

April 30, 2010

20. Developers Build on Flood Plains at Taxpayers’...

April 30, 2010

19. Clinton Administration Lobbied for Retention of Toxic...

April 30, 2010

18. Manhattan Project Covered Up Effects of Fluoride...

April 30, 2010

17. U. S. Media Promotes Biased Coverage of...

April 30, 2010

16. Mercenary Armies in Service to Global Corporations

April 30, 2010

Become a Monthly Supporter For Only $10 and Get the Newest Book for Free!

Become a Monthly Supporter Here!Project Censored 2022 Top Censored Stories Book

We depend on member support to continue our research on news censorship, media literacy education, maintain our websites, and to write our annual book!

 

 

 

 

Help Support the New Censored Press!

Censored PRess

Support the Launch of the Censored Press

6% funded
$
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

Donation Total: $25.00

Donate With Cryptocurrency

Donate to Project Censored

The Latest Project Censored Show

Swedish “Neutrality,” Issues With NATO, and Oil Politics Featuring Farida al-Abani and Charlotte Dennett

https://www.projectcensored.org/podcast-player/25789/swedish-neutrality-issues-with-nato-and-oil-politics-featuring-farida-al-abani-and-charlotte-dennett.mp3

More Information

  • What is Modern Censorship?
  • Contact Us
  • For Teachers
  • Workshop For Educators

Partner Websites

  • ACME
  • EmpireFiles
  • GCMLP
  • KBBF
  • KPFA
  • Mass Media Literacy
  • Media Roots
  • The Memory Hole
  • MintPress News
  • National Coalition Against Censorship
  • News Enlightenment Initiative (Project Censored Germany)
  • Open the Gov
  • Random Lengths News
  • The RealNews
  • Society of Professional Journalists
  • WPOV – From a Woman’s Point of View

More

  • The Top 25 Archive
  • Nominate a Story
  • Project Censored in the Classroom
  • Independent News Sources
  • Fair Use Statement
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube

All Rights Reserved by Media Freedom Foundation. No part of the content on this website may be republished without written consent by Media Freedom Foundation


Back To Top
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT