Copyrighted corn crops
Jeff Moses
Monsanto is a multi-national agricultural conglomerate currently responsible for 60 percent of all the corn in the United States according to Panna.org. Monsanto is known for their genetically modified seeds, which means at least 60 percent, if not more, of all the corn in America contains genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).
GMO’s have been around as long as there has been farming, according to Lewis Obermiller, professor of biotechnology and genetics at MCC and Arizona State.
So Monsanto isn’t doing anything new, they’re just doing it differently. “Monsanto purchased this patent (on corn) in the mid 2000’s and they found a way to suppress late embryo genesis start genes,” said Obermiller, “so in a nutshell basically what happens is it’s a sterile seed.”
These are known as “terminator seeds” or “suicide seeds” since they can produce no pollen, which prevents them from reproducing.
“Obviously it’s a positive for the company,” said Obermiller.
“I can’t really see any (environmental) positives, I don’t think it would produce better seeds, I don’t think the crops would be more abundant, I think it’s a way for them to protect their intellectual rights,” he said.
“I’m also pretty aware that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has a 25 percent stake in seed sterility with Monsanto,” said Obermiller, “so the United States government stands to profit from that as well.”
Monsanto does more than produce corn however. “They have their rice designed, it’s called ‘golden rice’ and they have it designed so it won’t pollinate,” said MCC Professor Brandon Guida.
Besides just seed sterilization, Monsanto is also responsible for what’s called, “BT corn, which is a compound from a bacteria and that causes an issue with the gut of the insects; it causes the cells to rupture,” said Obermiller.
“Some people were cultivating the bacteria and spraying it on their plants by hand, as an insecticide. They’d been using it for years and what Monsanto said is ‘why bother’ and they put it in the plant so when the bugs eat it they die,” Obermiller said.
“People have never been exposed to this. They don’t go around dirt which is where BT is found so they can develop allergic reactions to it,” Obermiller said. “But I haven’t read any viable research that even one person has had an allergic reaction to it,” he said.
