Monsanto | Grist

Poisoned Patriots

Veteran wins groundbreaking claim for Agent Orange exposure at Georgia military base 0
Posted 1 week, 3 days ago A U.S. veteran living in Tennessee won what's thought to be the first Veterans Administration claim for exposure inside the continental United States to Agent Orange, an herbicide that was used by the military to clear jungles during the Vietnam War.
Unlocking the Gates

Bill Gates reveals support for GMO ag 44
Posted 1 month ago The Gates Foundation is reshaping African agriculture. So far, it has refrained from declaring patent-protected biotechnology a panacea for African farmers. But if a recent speech by Bill Gates is any indication, that view may be changing.
Weed Whacking

The chemical treadmill breaks down and the superweeds did it 6
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago Tom Philpott has been tracking the rise of so-called "superweeds" -- i.e. herbicide-resistant weeds -- for a while now. He's talked about the chemical treadmill -- "the situation wherein weeds and other pests develop resistance to poisons, demanding ever higher doses of old poisons and constant development of novel ones."
GMO job--or new food paradigm?

Another Monsanto man in a key USDA post? Obama’s ag policy’s giving me whiplash 20
Posted 1 month, 4 weeks ago With new ag appointments, the Obama administration's food/ag policy keeps zigzagging between progressive change and the agrichemical status quo.
Notable quotable

On the origin of ‘superweeds’ and the chemical treadmill 0
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
A Big Ag "weed consultant" explains the industry's attitude toward Monsanto's blockbuster herbicide Roundup--before the advent of Roundup-resistant "superweeds."
Catch my drift?

With a gust of wind, an Iowa crop duster can squash an organic farm 18
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
Usually, small-scale organic farmers avoid interacting with GMO seed giant Monsanto simply by avoiding its seeds. But one such grower in Iowa got a nasty blast of Monsanto's power anyway, literally from the sky.
Swing low, revolving door

Monsanto’s man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role 14
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
The Obama Admininstration has named former Monsanto chief lobbyist Michael Taylor to a powerful role within the FDA. Some in the sustainable-food world applauded the move. Not Tom Philpott.
Food Inc. director Robert Kenner on the Daily Show 0
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Supermarket gothic

Food Inc. Director Robert Kenner speaks on the ills of the food system 2
Posted 5 months ago
Food Inc. opened last week to critical acclaim and solid box office. Amid the hoopla, director Robert Kenner spoke to Grist about what he saw when he peered behind our food system's cloak.
Fast food abomination

As ‘Food Inc.’ nears open, Eric Schlosser appears on Colbert 0
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Political engineering

Monsanto dropped a cool $2 million on lobbying in Q1 2009 4
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Monsanto dominates the global market for GMO seeds like Microsoft dominates the operating-system software market. And it invests a portion of its substantial profits on political engineering--cultivating friends on the Hill.
Truth in advertising?

Monsanto targets public radio to spread false biotech messages 30
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago
Monsanto has been on a charm offensive, touting its green cred in NPR and other high-profile outlets. What gives?