Franken-broccoli?

The GM seed giants lumber into the veggie patch

Posted by Tom Philpott at 12:18 PM on 19 Dec 2007

Read more about: food | agriculture | business | industrial ag | GMOs

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."

For story: Franken-broccoli?
3 Comments | Post a Comment

RoundUp Ready isn't the only one

It's really too bad that the big ag companies are sticking to pesticide resistance only. There are so many possibilities out there - disease resistance, improved nutrition, and better use of water and fertilizer to name a few. I can't help but wonder if the focus would change if customer perception changed first.

For more scientific discussion on GMOs, visit my blog: GeneticMaize.

by Anastasia at 9:00 PM on 19 Dec 2007

Typical corporate behavior

Corporations say what they believe people want to hear at the time. When Monstanto bought Seminis they wanted farmers and gardeners to believe that everything would stay the same. It's no different when a local company gets bought up by a major corporation. They always say everything will stay the same. And it does, for a couple of years, then the changes begin. I believe Monsanto had every intention of implementing biotech in 2005.

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.

by SMLowry at 7:33 AM on 20 Dec 2007

Large ag companies are the problem...

... not GMOs.

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.

by wiscidea at 7:59 AM on 20 Dec 2007
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