The World According to Monsanto

[Perelandra]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/sanders-claims-cbs-canceled-agriculture-interview-because-mo#.yiN7NjnMjz

During a town hall event here on Saturday night, a voter asked Sanders about Monsanto. Questions about agribusiness and genetically-modified food are not unusual at Sanders events, but on Saturday night the Vermont senator claimed his criticism of the industry and Monsanto’s objection caused CBS to cancel an interview:

Monsanto is a very, very powerful corporation. They are one of the leaders in food technology and basically working hard to transform our food system. Let me tell you a funny story, or not so funny. In my state, a great dairy state, we have a lot of dairy cows. There was an effort to put what was called BGH, bovine growth hormone, which is a stimulant that makes cows produce cows more milk but is unhealthy. I was against that.
I’ll never forget this. I was invited by CBS, not a small company, to appear on television to talk about why I was opposed to bovine growth hormone. CBS then called me up and said, ‘Well, Monsanto is threatening to sue us, so we can’t go on with it.’ They are very powerful.

From the comments:
Ron Morrissette •
Owner-Operator at Green Mountain Solar
Not many people outside of Vermont would know this , but Bernie worked hard for the Norhteast Dairy Compact that increased the price paid to New England dairy farmers and saved many from going broke, the Compact worked well untill the processors found a way to undermine it . I know because I was a dairy farmer and Bernie is the most honest politiicain there is, many Vermont farmers who are conservative republicans vote for Bernie because they know he fights for the little guy and you can trust him!!


People should know that our State Dept. top 'diplomats' are front line sales reps for Monsanto. It may even be a major component of the U.S. 'problems' with Russia.

Very interesting.

Interesting comment about Ukraine, also. Recently, I read something about how it should/could be Europe's breadbasket, but don't remember where.

[DrEvil]

Interesting comment about Ukraine, also. Recently, I read something about how it should/could be Europe's breadbasket, but don't remember where.

According to wikipedia:

Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands, and it remains one of the world's largest grain exporters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine

More detail:

Soil

From northwest to southeast the soils of Ukraine may be divided into three major aggregations: a zone of sandy podzolized soils; a central belt consisting of the black, extremely fertile Ukrainian (chernozems); and a zone of chestnut and salinized soils.[181]

As much as two-thirds of the country's surface land consists of the so-called black earth (chornozem), a resource that has made Ukraine one of the most fertile regions in the world and famously called a "breadbasket."[182] These (chornozem) soils may be divided into three broad groups: in the north a belt of the so-called deep chernozems, about 5 feet (1.5 metres) thick and rich in humus; south and east of the former, a zone of prairie, or ordinary, chernozems, which are equally rich in humus but only about 3 feet (0.91 metres) thick; and the southernmost belt, which is even thinner and has still less humus. Interspersed in various uplands and along the northern and western perimeters of the deep chernozems are mixtures of gray forest soils and podzolized black-earth soils, which together occupy much of Ukraine’s remaining area. All these soils are very fertile when sufficient water is available. However, their intensive cultivation, especially on steep slopes, has led to widespread soil erosion and gullying.

The smallest proportion of the soil cover consists of the chestnut soils of the southern and eastern regions. They become increasingly salinized to the south as they approach the Black Sea.[181]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine#Soil

Crops have been bad lately:

Black Sea Drought Damages Quarter of All Crops in Russia

Crops in Russia and Ukraine have been hurt by the dry start to this season, with Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev saying a quarter of the country’s winter crops are in poor condition as planting nears completion.

In Ukraine, almost a third of winter wheat and triticale, a hybrid of the grain, was weak and thinned, according to data from UkrAgroConsult. That’s comparable to conditions in 2011, which resulted in a 29 percent drop in output, according to Paul Gaffet, an analyst at Offre & Demande Agricole in Bourges, France.

The world has become more dependent on output from the Black Sea region in Russia and Ukraine in recent years as buyers shifted from more expensive suppliers such as the U.S. Benchmark prices on the Chicago Board of Trade rose to an almost eight-week high on Oct. 7, partly on concerns drought would damage the harvests in the two countries.

It’s too early to draw conclusions about 2016 Black Sea production as poor crops in some areas “could be made up with yields in the other parts,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist at the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization.
Lack of Rain

Farmers in Russia’s southern and central regions were affected by a lack of rain during the sowing of winter wheat. Planting was about 92 percent complete as of Oct. 30, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. While rain last week improved the situation a little, farmers may have to replant some of the crop in the spring, Tkachev said.

“The situation was critical,” Tkachev said at a government meeting outside Moscow led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. “The crops didn’t emerge.”

Most of Ukraine and western Russia received less than 80 percent, and in some cases less than 20 percent, of normal rainfall in the 90 days through Oct. 31, while temperatures were unusually high, according to data compiled by World Ag Weather.
‘Insufficient Rain’

“Low moisture content in the soil due to insufficient rains during the last few months caused farmers to fall behind optimum planting schedules,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service.

Winter rapeseed in Ukraine is in the worst condition in at least seven years, with 34 percent of the crop weak and thinned compared with 18 percent last year, according to UkrAgroConsult. For wheat, 27 percent was in good condition, while 32 percent of the crop was in the worst condition, the researcher’s figures show.

The state of the wheat is similar to 2011, when 30 percent was rated good as of Nov. 11 and 31 percent poor, according to Gaffet. Winter wheat and rapeseed crops planted this year will be harvested in 2016.

Ukraine’s wheat crop slumped to 15.8 million metric tons in 2012 from 22.3 million tons the previous year, while Russia’s production fell 33 percent to 41.5 million tons, according to data from the USDA.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... -condition

[identity]

How Glyphosate mimics our basic amino acid, and gets into our cells, tissues, chromosome and DNA

Roundup's Reach: Present in All Tested Human and Animal Samples

"The presence of glyphosate residues in both humans and animals could haul the entire population towards numerous health hazards, studying the impact of glyphosate residues on health is warranted and the global regulations for the use of glyphosate may have to be re-evaluated."

A newly released study published in Environmental & Analytical Toxicology highlights the chemical dangers associated with the GMO agricultural system, which relies heavily on the herbicide known as glyphosate (aka Roundup), and to which widespread exposure through the environment and our food is increasingly becoming inevitable.

The study titled, "Detection of Glyphosate in Animals and Humans," aimed to investigate glyphosate residues in different biological samples from humans and animals, in order to gain insight into the modern day exposure situation.

The following animal samples were collected:

Urine from cows kept in GM free areas
Organs from slaughtered cows from conventional husbandry (gut wall, liver, kidney, lung and muscles)
Urine samples from Danish cows
Urine samples from hares and fattening rabbits
The following human samples were collected:

Urine samples from humans with conventional or organic diets
Urine samples from healthy and chronically diseases humans
All samples were tested, revealing the following positive results:

Animal Samples: "Glyphosate excretion in German dairy cows was significantly (P<0.0001) higher than Danish cows (Figure 1A). Surprisingly, cows kept in GM free region had significantly (p<0.001) lower glyphosate concentrations in their urine compared with cows under convention husbandry (Figure 1B). Also glyphosate was detected in different organs of slaughtered cows including intestine, liver, muscles, spleen and kidney (Figure 1C). There were no significant differences of glyphosate residues in these organs. Hares showed significantly lower (P<0.0001) glyphosate residues in urine than fattening rabbit (Figure 2)."

Human Samples: "Glyphosate was significantly higher (P<0.0002) in humans feed conventional feed compared with predominantly organic feed humans (Figure 3). Also the glyphosate residues in urine were grouped according to the human health status. Chronically ill humans had significantly higher (P=0.03) glyphosate residues in urine than healthy humans (Figure 2)."
In the discussion portion of the study, the researchers address several key points. First, glyphosate exposure is inevitable, due to the way it is used in food production:

"Glyphosate-containing herbicides are applied in large amounts to crops 2 to 3 times per season to remove weeds and dry out grain in a process called 'desiccation' [22]. Once applied, glyphosate accumulates in leaves, grains or fruit. Glyphosate residues cannot be removed by washing and they are not broken down by cooking [23]. Glyphosate residues can remain stable in foods for a year or more, even if the foods are frozen, dried or processed."
Second, very little testing of glyphosate's presumed safety has been performed, despite its global dominance as a preferred herbicide – this despite a growing body of research indicating glyphosate's adverse effects on human health.

Thirdly, they pointed out that beyond detecting glyphosate in intestine, liver, muscle, spleen and kidney tissue of the exposed animal, other research found the chemical accumulates in the bones – which they remarked was not a surprising finding, considering that glyphosate is a strong chelating agent for calcium.

Finally, they discovered a glyphosate concentration of 1 part per billion in people consuming predominantly an organic food diet – significantly lower than found in those consuming a conventional diet. They also point out that the presence of low levels of glyphosate even within those fed organic food could be attributed to contamination of the air and rain – an issue which we addressed recently in our article, Roundup Weedkiller Found in 75% of Air and Rain Samples, Gov. Study Finds.

The study concluded:

"Glyphosate residue could reach humans and animals through feed and excreted in urine. Presence of glyphosate in urine and its accumulation in animal tissues is alarming even at low concentrations. Unknown impacts of glyphosate on human and animal health warrants further investigations of glyphosate residues in vertebrates and other non-target organisms."

With countries like Sri Lanka and El Salvador moving to ban glyphosate formulations (Roundup) due to its now suspected link to deadly kidney disease in humans, studies like this remind us just how omnipresent the chemical is, and how we can no longer pretend like the issue does not affect us. As long as we continue to support an agricultural system and food industry that relies on a chemical warfare model of non-sustainable production, where every plant or insect must die but the chosen, patented GM one that can withstand the agrichemical onslaught, we will be faced with the consequences: widespread poisoning, and the eventual collapse of the fertility of the soil and the biodiversity of the plants we need to survive.

[backtoiam]

Damn that is a lot of special interest groups. I wonder where the truth shakes out on this....

Nigerians Overwhelmingly Reject Monsanto’s Risky GM Maize and Cotton
Posted on March 31, 2016

BENIN CITY, NIGERIA – More than 100 groups representing over 5 million Nigerians, comprising of farmers, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, students and local community groups, are vehemently opposing Monsanto’s attempts to introduce genetically modified (GM) cotton and maize into Nigeria’s food and farming systems. In written objections submitted to the biosafety regulators, the groups have cited numerous serious health and environmental concerns and the failure of these crops especially GM cotton in Africa.

Monsanto Agricultural Nigeria Limited has applied to the National Biosafety Management Agency (NABMA) for the environmental release and placing in the market in Zaria and surrounding towns of GM cotton (Bt cotton, event MON 15985). A further application isfor the confined field trial (CFT) of two GM maize varieties (NK603 and stacked event MON 89034 x NK603) in multiple locations in Nigeria.

In their objection to the commercial release of Bt cotton into Nigeria, the groups are particularly alarmed that the application has come so close after the dismal failures of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso. According to Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth – one of the groups in the frontline of the resistance: “We are totally shocked that it should come so soon after peer reviewed studies have showed that the technology has failed dismally in Burkina Faso. It has brought nothing but economic misery to the cotton sector there and is being phased out in that country where compensation is being sought from Monsanto.” He further asks the pointed question: “since our Biosafety Act has only recently entered into force, what biosafety legislation was used to authorize and regulate the field trials in the past in accordance with international law and best biosafety practice?”

According to the groups, former President Goodluck Jonathan hastily signed the National Biosafety Management Bill into law, in the twilight days of his tenure in office. Further worrying is the apparent conflict of interests displayed by the Nigerian regulatory agencies, who are publically supporting the introduction of GMOs into Nigeria whereas these regulators (the NAMBA) are legally bound to remain impartial and regulate in the public interest.

Monsanto’s GM maize application is in respect of a stacked event, including the herbicide tolerant trait intended to confer tolerance to the use of the herbicide, glyphosate. In 20 March 2015 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), assessed the carcinogenicity of glysophate and concluded that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” There is also increasing scientific evidence that glyphosate poses serious risks to the environment.

According to Mariann Orovwuje, Friends of the Earth International’s Food Sovereignty co-coordinator, “Should commercialization of Monsanto’s GM maize be allowed pursuant to field trials, this will result in increased use of glyphosate in Nigeria, a chemical that is linked to causing cancer in humans. Recent studies have linked glyphosate to health effects such as degeneration of the liver and kidney, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. That NABMA is even considering this application is indeed unfortunate and deeply regrettable, knowing full well about the uncontrolled exposure that our rural farmers and communities living close to farms will be exposed to.”

Monsanto’s application deceitfully provides no discussion on the potential risks of glysophate use to human and animal health and the environment. Apart from the potential of contaminating local varieties, the health risk of the introduction of genetically modified maize into Nigeria is enormous considering the fact that maize is a staple that all of 170 million Nigerians depend on.

The groups are urging the Nigerian government to reject Monsanto’s applications out of hand.They note with disquiet that there is a serious lack of capacity within Nigeria to adequately control and monitor the human and environmental risks of GM crops and glyphosate. Further there is virtually no testing of any food material and products in Nigeria for glyphosate or other pesticide residues, or the monitoring of their impact on the environment including water resources.

Groups Endorsing the Objection to Monsanto’s applications

All Nigeria Consumers Movement Union (ANCOMU)
Committee on Vital Environmental Resources (COVER)
Community Research and Development Centre (CRDC)
Ijaw Mothers of Warri
Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN)
Host Communities Network of Nigeria (HoCoN)
Oilwatch Nigeria
Green Alliance, Nigeria
African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development
Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL)
Women Environmental Programme (WEP)
Persons with Disabilities Action Network (PEDANET)
Students Environmental Assembly of Nigeria (SEAN)
Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD)
Ogoni Solidarity Forum (OSF)
KebetKache Women Development and Resource Centre
Federation of Urban Poor (FEDUP)
Community Forest Watch (CFW)
The Young Environmentalist Network (TYEN)
Women’s Rights to Education Program (WREP)
Community Action for Public Action (CAPA)
Peoples Advancement Centre (ADC) Bori
Social Action
SPEAK Nigeria
Host Communities Network
Urban Rural Environmental Defenders (U-RED)
Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI)
Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP)
Foundation for Rural/Urban Integration (FRUIT)
Community Action for Popular Participation
Torjir-Agber Foundation (TAF)
Civil Society on Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE),
Jireh Doo foundation
Advocate for Community Vision and Development( ACOVID)
Initiative for empowerment for vulnerable(IEV)
Kwaswdoo Foundation Initiative (KFI)
Environment and Climate Change Amelioration Initiative) ECCAI
Manna Love and Care Foundation (MLC)
Okaha Women and children development Organisation(OWCDO)
JODEF-F
Glorious things ministry(GTM)
Daughters of Love Foundation
Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN)
Community Links and Empowerment Initiative(CLHEI)
Nigerian Women in Agriculture (NAWIA)
Osa foundation
Initiative for Improved Health and Wealth Creation (IIHWC)
Peace Health Care Initiative (PHCI)
Ochilla Daughters Foundation (ODF)
African Health Project (AHP)
Artists in Development
Ramberg Child Survival Initiative (RACSI)
Global Health and Development initiative
First Step Initiative (FIP)
Ruhujukan Environment Development Initiative (REDI)
The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD), Nigeria
Center for Children’s Health Education, Orientation Protection (CEE Hope)and CEEHOPE Nigeria
Next Generation Youth Initiative (NGI)
Akwa Ibom Information and Research Organisation (AIORG)
Rural Action for Green Environment (RAGE)
United Action for Democracy
Campaign for Democracy
Yasuni Association
Egi Joint Action Congress
Green Concern for Development (Greencode)
Kebetkache Ahoada Women Farmers Cooperative
Ahoada Uzutam Women Farmers Cooperative
Ogboaku Ahoada Farmers Cooperative
Gbobia Feefeelo women
Ovelle Nyakovia Women Cooperative
Rumuekpe Women Prayer Warriors
League of Queens
Emem Iban Oku Iboku
Uchio Mpani Ibeno
Rural Health and Women Development
Women Initiative on Climate Change
Peoples’ Centre
Citizens Trust Advocacy and Development Centre (CITADEC)
Centre for Environment Media and Development Communications
Centre for Dignity
Peace and Development Project
Triumphant Foundation
Earthcare Foundation
Lokiakia Centre
Community Development and Advocacy Foundation (CODAF)
Citizens Centre
Development Strategies
Rainforest Research and Development Center
Center for Environmental Education and Development (CEED)
Initiative for the Elimination of Violence Against Women & Children (IEVAWC)
Charles and Doosurgh Abaagu Foundation
Community Emergency Response Initiative
Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN)
Shacks and Slum Dwellers Association of Nigeria
Atan Justice, Development and Peace Centre
Sisters of Saint Louis Nigeria
Life Lift Nigeria
Community Research and Development Foundation (CDLF)
Environmental rights Action Friends of the Earth Nigeria ( ERA/ FoEN)
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)

HOMEF’s press release appeared first at Common Dreams
http://www.naturalblaze.com/2016/03/nig ... otton.html

Image credit: Bella Naija

[82_28]

Bayer's Monsanto bid to create biggest agricultural supplier

German drugs and chemicals company Bayer has made a $62bn (£43bn) offer for Monsanto, in a deal that would create the world's biggest agricultural supplier.

Bayer said the bid was a "compelling opportunity to create a global agriculture leader."

Monsanto is primarily known for genetically modified crops, often leading to vocal activist criticism.

The offer comes amid a wave of mergers in the industry.

Rivals Dow Chemical, DuPont and Syngenta have all announced tie-ups recently, although they have yet to be cleared by regulators.

Bayer said the offer of $122 per share represented a 37% premium on the price of Monsanto shares before rumours about the takeover bid emerged in the media.

"We have long respected Monsanto's business and share their vision to create an integrated business that we believe is capable of generating substantial value for both companies' shareholders," Bayer's chief executive Werner Baumann said in a statement.

Both companies had confirmed last week that they were in talks over the issue.

When news about the takeover offer broke, Bayer shares took an 8% hit and a number of large Bayer investors voiced their criticism of the prospective deal, with one describing it as "arrogant empire-building".
Industry mergers

The German company has a market value of about $90bn, making it the second-largest producer of crop chemicals after Syngenta.

Monsanto, which has a market capitalisation of $42bn, attempted to buy Swiss rival Syngenta last year.

However, Syngenta ended up accepting a $43bn offer from ChemChina in February, although that deal is still being reviewed by regulators in the US.

Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto is expected to be bigger in value than the ChemChina-Syngenta deal.

The biggest merger in the chemicals industry took place late last year when Dow Chemical teamed up with Du Pont to form a new $130bn company.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36356022

[Sounder]

Agricultural supplier? Wow, biggest in the world, bet they know how to throw their weight around.

I imagine that Bayer did their due diligence and are confident that that the assets of Monsanto fat outweigh their liabilities. Lawsuits are small, transient pests compared to the support received from corrupt govt regulators, NGO's and Bill Gates.

Thanks hanshan for the Bill Gates reminder, (in a different thread.)

[Sounder]

Agricultural supplier? Wow, biggest in the world, bet they know how to throw their weight around.

I imagine that Bayer did their due diligence and are confident that that the assets of Monsanto fat outweigh their liabilities. Lawsuits are small, transient pests compared to the support received from corrupt govt regulators, NGO's and Bill Gates.

Thanks hanshan for the Bill Gates reminder, (in a different thread.)

[stickdog99]