Category: GMO Seeds

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The Pinnacle of Self Importance

Touch the Soil News #984 (Feature photo – GMO Crops – public domain) Two of the world’s largest developers and marketers of GMO seeds – seeds that produce plants immune weed killing chemicals – have just received the go-ahead to merge by the U.S. Department of Justice. German GMO seeds and chemical giant Bayer entered into an agreement in 2016 to buy Monsanto for $66 billion. It seems regulators at home and abroad are stepping in line to make it happen. At the tip of their tongues, both Bayer and Monsanto have expressed that GMO seeds – and chemicals such as glyphosate – are key to solving world hunger and…

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Is Monsanto – The Publically Proclaimed GMO Villain – About to Collapse?

Touch the Soil News #384 With a long history of buying other companies and thwarting efforts by states to label foods containing GMOs, Monsanto may be consumed by another beast – Bayer Ag from Germany. Bayer Ag (twice the size of Monsanto) has announced it has visited with Monsanto officials for an unsolicited takeover. Monsanto is consumed with a host of problems that are impacting the value of the company. The problems are of such magnitude, that Monsanto has turned from feeding on smaller prey, to becoming fodder for a bigger fish. In its weak condition, Monsanto stockholders may want to bail ship and sell the company. Here is a…

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Striving for Power Via Farm Chemicals, GMOs and Seed Patents (part 2 of 2)

Touch the Soil News #380 Unlike private-sector mergers, the pending ChemChina acquisition of Syngenta will not only become a powerful market force, it will be politically charged as the Chinese Government will be the sole owner. Unlike other mergers, where the stockholders of the company being sold often get most of their payment in the form of stock in the new company – this deal is all cash.   Being able to write a check for $43 billion at one time – to payoff Syngenta stockholders – will further establish the Chinese Government as being one of the singularly most powerful capitalistic forces in the world.   ChemChina is betting…

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Striving for Power Via Farm Chemicals, GMOs and Seed Patents (part 1 of 2)

Touch the Soil News #379 Historically we have followed the Monsanto company whose operations have ignited domestic and global protest. Operating at a lower public profile are two other companies (Syngenta and ChemChina) whose business lines are similar to Monsanto’s – genetic modification of plants, agrochemicals and patenting seeds for private corporate ownership. In an unsuccessful attempt last year (2015), Monsanto tried to acquire Syngenta – to create the world’s largest biotech and agrochemical company. Syngenta management spurred the deal, essentially saying Monsanto was not a suitable partner. Earlier this year, ChemChina (China National Chemical Corporation) – a state-owned enterprise by the Chinese government – made a bid to acquire…

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Brazil National Cancer Institute: GMO Crops Drive Agrochemical Use

Touch the Soil News #376 Brazil, one of the world’s largest GMO corn and soybean producers has become the largest consumer of agrochemicals in the world. Brazil’s National Cancer Institute (INCA) – a division of the nation’s ministry of health – is quoted as saying: “Importantly, the release of transgenic seeds in Brazil was one of the factors responsible for putting the country in first place in the ranking of agrochemical consumption. The cropping pattern with the intensive use of pesticides generates major harms, including environmental pollution, poisoning of workers and the population in general. Brazil’s national consumption of agrochemicals is equivalent to 5.2 liters per person per year. Brazilian…

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India – One of Monsanto’s Largest Markets – Gives the Boot to Monsanto

Touch the Soil News #359 It is no secret expensive GMO seeds – for which many small farmers in India had to get into debt for – has caused financial hardship. Financial failure is like social failure in India. Since 1997 there have been roughly 200,000 farmer suicides in India due to loan defaults and financial failures. Recently, the government of India has had enough – particularly as relates to the nation’s large cotton farming footprint in which GMO seeds now prevail. The government of India led – by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – has imposed a 70 percent reduction in royalties that Monsanto receives for it cotton technology. Contributing…

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