In 2005, Monsanto bought Seminis, the world's largest vegetable-seed company. At the time, Monsanto -- which enjoys a dominant position in the global market for GM soy, corn, and cotton traits -- claimed it had no imminent plans to subject veggies to genetic modification.
Now I learn from the excellent new blog SeedStory, by Matthew Dillon of the Organic Seed Alliance, that Monsanto is working on RoundUp Ready lettuce. And the few other transnational giants that dominate the global GM seed industry are also upping their position in vegetables.
Bayer-Crop Science, Dillon reports, has snapped up Paragon, the world's biggest lettuce-seed firm. Dillon reports that he hears from industry reps that Bayer isn't planning on investing in transgenic vegetable crops. Funny -- that's just what Monsanto was saying a couple of years ago.
Incidentally, anyone interested in this topic should read Dillon's "A Brief History of the Seed Industry."
Do diesel-based farmers dream of electric tractors?
Will Africa’s farmland become a ‘resource curse’?
Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change
Comments
View as Flat
Anastasia Posted 2:00 pm
19 Dec 2007
For more scientific discussion on GMOs, visit my blog: GeneticMaize.
Permalink
SMLowry Posted 12:33 am
20 Dec 2007
We have already lost so many varieties of veggies to the industrialization of the food supply in large part because large-scale ag controls what's available. Why should a company bother growing out varieties that only small scale growers and family gardeners will order? There's not enough money in it. In the few years I've been gardening, I've noticed many old-time favorite varieties being discontinued by Fedco because they are no longer available. It's both sad and frightening.
Permalink
wiscidea Posted 12:59 am
20 Dec 2007
Anastasia, thank you for your contribution to the discussion. I'm looking forward to reading the material on your website. It looks quite thorough and enlightening.
Good luck trying to win converts here. I've been pushing GMO potatoes -- resistant to late blight, so reduced need for chemicals -- but environmentalist just don't get it.
Large ag companies have really mucked things up by focusing on GMOs that encourage use of chemicals, lying to the public, and sitting on very valuable technology that would actually reduce use of chemicals. Someone has to reform patent law. But until a few organizations other than large ag companies embrace GMOs -- while rejecting the dangerous ones -- nothing is going to change.
It is time for people to take back our natural heritage. Environmentalist think they are rejecting technology and saving lives when, in my opinion, they are just turning the technology -- an billions of lives -- over to large corpporations.
http://ffrf.org/day/
Permalink