March against Monsanto

[Simon Chiles]

Would Monsanto's record in the 3rd world be much different than DuPont or any of the other major players in the Ag. world?

Yes I think it is different from other major Ag players.
It's ( IMO ) completely different trading with farmers like ourselves and some peasant farmer who you have sold cheap GMO seed to for a few years until they have no seed left that they can farm save, then jack the price up out all proportion knowing that now they have no choice. After all if I didn't want to be a farmer anymore I could always stack shelves at Tesco. They either buy the seed or watch their kids die.
Actions like this hardly help to further the GMO cause and gets far more publicity than the scientist who designed GM rice to contain vitamin A ( and donated it for free ) so that kids in the third world didn't go blind in their late teens.
I personally would be for GMO in principle but with firms like Monsanto at the helm I have to say that I'm sceptical about its advantages to us the grower.

 

[mwj]

true but you can only make that chose if your are given the true facts , and if you r mind is open to see , many farmers have their head in the sand on any thing that might decrease tonnes per ha , and they say their goal is to feed the world, crap . i am not for ogm , not against it , but against companies that cover up the facts , and get government protection to do so

How has Monsanto or any of the other companies in the field been covering up facts? What ''facts'' do you think they are hiding? Do you think that any company in any field that uses cutting edge technology is going to lay out all of the information for there customers and competitors?

 

[Cowabunga]

Yes I think it is different from other major Ag players.
It's ( IMO ) completely different trading with farmers like ourselves and some peasant farmer who you have sold cheap GMO seed to for a few years until they have no seed left that they can farm save, then jack the price up out all proportion knowing that now they have no choice. After all if I didn't want to be a farmer anymore I could always stack shelves at Tesco. They either buy the seed or watch their kids die.
Actions like this hardly help to further the GMO cause and gets far more publicity than the scientist who designed GM rice to contain vitamin A ( and donated it for free ) so that kids in the third world didn't go blind in their late teens.
I personally would be for GMO in principle but with firms like Monsanto at the helm I have to say that I'm sceptical about its advantages to us the grower.

They could always buy non-Monsanto seed if Monsanto seed didn't pay them better.

 

[grumpy]

How has Monsanto or any of the other companies in the field been covering up facts? What ''facts'' do you think they are hiding? Do you think that any company in any field that uses cutting edge technology is going to lay out all of the information for there customers and competitors?

think she was going with this.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/ground...h-us-military-to-target-gmo-activists/5344496

 

[Simon Chiles]

They could always buy non-Monsanto seed if Monsanto seed didn't pay them better.

But that's the point. Once they have exhausted all their seed they can only buy it off them. More ethical suppliers don't pursue that market as they know they can't afford it.

 

[Cowabunga]

But that's the point. Once they have exhausted all their seed they can only buy it off them. More ethical suppliers don't pursue that market as they know they can't afford it.

If they could not afford it they would not buy it in the first place. Whatever product they buy to grow a crop, including seed, must show a return on the investment or they would not grow it. You assume that all farmers would find the seed so profitable to grow that they would use it exclusively. For that to come to pass it would have to give some fantastic benefits proved over a number of years.

Your assumptions are all pure fantasy. For one thing, if the seed were to become too expensive and unprofitable to use, a number of their farmers would have a ready and profitable market growing and selling other seed as a replacement.

For a seed company to make a profit from selling their seed and complementary products they absolutely need those products to provide a demonstrable and profit advantage to their customers. This is no different to any other retail business that is demand led.
It is no different at all to farmers choosing to take up direct drilling. If it offers a significant advantage to you, the farmer, it is taken up and used. If not, it isn't. After all these years DD has still not dominated the market, let alone one particular brand of drill.

 

[Exfarmer]

So you guys seriously think Monsanto can sue every little guy with half an acre who is up to his hilt in borrowing from his landlord so he can pay the 50 % rent demanded.
Get real!
I don't suppose many of you have seen farming in The Indian continent

 

[snowhite]

How has Monsanto or any of the other companies in the field been covering up facts? What ''facts'' do you think they are hiding? Do you think that any company in any field that uses cutting edge technology is going to lay out all of the information for there customers and competitors?

no Jack you look it up , it is your duty to inform your self of the facts that are against Monsanto cases that have being proven against them in court in your own country ,
there is none as blind as those that don't want to see

 

[mwj]

I have watched the use of GMO's from Monsanto and many others from there very first trial use. I live in the heart of one of the finest grain growing regions in the world. I can see none of the very devastating effects that so many speak of. I am as well informed in the farm business in my country as you are and I can not find all the court rulings that you are implying. If you care to inform the rest of us what you are referring to I will be more than happy to check into the facts.

 

[Blaithin]

Round them up and dump them on an island and see how they feed themselves with their eco friendly methods, they need a reality check.

Put me on an island. I could feed myself just fine in an eco friendly way. We need these not so eco friendly methods to feed the population explosions of cities clinging on to our agricultural skirts. Their problem not mine if they go hungry or have to eat GMO foods. I'm far from a humanitarian.

There's pros and cons to GMOs. The ability for larger crops for less (pesticides, days to maturity, etc.), cost is cheaper (for some), they're too monocultural (for my liking) and I've read reports on their effectiveness against pests already waning and requiring higher doses and more tweaking - which is the battle with all pesticides...

Really the way I see GMOs are they're future DDT's. Sometime in 20, 30 or even 50+ years it'll become excruciatingly obvious that they have serious ramifications like bio amplification. Whether it be on bee's, humans or the entire ecosystem. Don't mess with Mother Nature to try and fast track her, she'll kick you down every time. She may just lose some players in the process which is the unfortunate part. So I'll happily live somewhere that bans GMOs, not use them myself and promote not using them. I recognize their place in our economy, just as I recognize the place of feedlots at this point in time. Doesn't mean I have to like them and think they're the best method.

 

[Anton]

Of course not and it is entirely up to the farmer whether they consider their products to be worthy of use. It is a purely business decision by the farmer and has pros and cons just like any other business decision they take. Farmers always know that not every crop in every year will even cover their costs, which is why most farmers grow several crop types and several varieties of those crops every year. We farmers are not only at the mercy of the market but also at the mercy of the weather, pestilence, the market and politics. Monsanto or any individual crop breeder is the very least of our worries.

Agreed!
I planted Syngenta rice seed, DG1, variant before in indonesia.It is terrible, all rice mills complained that heavy percentage of broken rice. I complained syngenta but all they did was stop selling DG1. I feel seeds are very much weather, temperature and soil dependence...what is good for indian farmer is not good for indonesian farmer....our local seed better adapted to our local climate and soil.
Those people who go crazy and attack GMO company are not farmer. There are plenty other things to worry about.

 

[Elmsted]

Have read soil not oil by shiva but impossible to back up figures IMO

I am more scared of patent law than any "Frankenstein food" or agrochemical.

Happy to have the option, as long as there's still choice

Even in the heartland of mid west America there is leakage of around 15 to 20%. The concept/practicality of actually enforcing total recovery is impossible