Le Monde Selon Monsanto (2008)

The documentary The World According to Monsanto produced by French journalist and film maker Marie-Monique Robin paints a grim picture of a company with a long track record of environmental crimes, health scandals. It is also by far the leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed, holding 70%–100% market share for various crops. It’s development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and bovine growth hormones, 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.

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Farmer Suicides

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) there were at least 16,196 farmers' suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132.

[Connections to food crisis, corporate farming, GMO seeds, etc.]

Famine and the GM Debate

Amid the efforts to cope with a famine threatening 30 million people, a row is raging over genetically modified (GM) food aid. Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa refused GM food aid calling it "poison". Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi are concerned that letting in food aid containing genetically modified material will lead to the planting of seeds and the contamination of domestic crops. Angola, Lesotho and Swaziland have not adopted positions on GM but have not refused aid containing genetically modified food.

Bush food aid package promotes genetically-modified crops

The Bush administration has slipped a controversial ingredient into the $770 million aid package it recently proposed to ease the world food crisis, adding language that would promote the use of genetically modified crops in food-deprived countries. The value or detriment of genetically modified, or bio-engineered, food is an intensely disputed issue in the U.S. and in Europe, where many countries have banned foods made from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

2008-05-14

http://tinyurl.com/4dja7j