Few names will trigger anticapitalists and antimonopolists alike more than Monsanto Company, a business who has completely changed agriculture practice over the decades.

The more I look up information about the corporation though, the more confused I get. Opinions seems to be widely polarized. From the outside looking in, the company has done some amazing things but also some horrible things.


From what I've seen, I think their ability to drive down the cost of food outweighs at least some of the negative criticism. The lasting health implications of Glyphosate are worth worrying about though, especially autism if true. I'm curious about other people's expertise and opinions.



PRO's -

Have increased crop yields per acre in nearly every area across the world, under certain circumstances.
http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/gmo-crops-higher-yield-depends-answer/
http://earthopensource.org/gmomythsandtruths/sample-page/5-gm-crops-impacts-farm-environment/210-2/

Sells seeds to farmers to enable these crop yields every year.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/539746/as-patents-expire-farmers-plant-generic-gmos/

Experiments to make plague resistant crops around the world
http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2015/10/13/monsanto-patent-acquisition-slows-focus-remains-on-disease-resistant-crops/id=62336/



CON's -

Monsanto Glyphosate pesticide is linked to Colony Collapse disorder in bees AND Autism in some scientific studies
http://www.gmoevidence.com/dr-huber-glyphosate-and-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-ccd/
https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/11/03/glyphosate-is-no-bee-killer/
http://www.anh-usa.org/half-of-all-children-will-be-autistic-by-2025-warns-senior-research-scientist-at-mit/

Failed experiments in third world countries have faced litigation after supposedly causing controversies such as farmer suicides in India.
https://www.rt.com/news/206787-monsanto-india-farmers-suicides/
http://www.nature.com/news/case-studies-a-hard-look-at-gm-crops-1.12907

The idea of putting patents of biological sequences of DNA is a questionable precedent
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/19/opinion/la-oe-kimbrell-monsanto-supreme-court-seed-20130219

A terrible, awful company that occasionally does pretty good things.

It's always confused me that Monsanto gets so much hate when there are so many other companies that are just as "bad." You have bayer, BASF, Syngenta, dupont, dow..

At least you didn't link the study showing small doses of glyphosate decrease cancer incidence in rats.

I drive past a monsanto building every day on my way to school and just wonder, what sort of reptilian illuminati leaders are in there plotting the newest way to poison human minds to be easily controllable

Pretty much.

When I was in the USA all the vegetables/fruit I tasted was a bit tasteless and bland. They looked good though.

I'm really happy with the EU's stringent food and agriculture law (especially the protection of regional products).

Is this a new league of legends item?

Oh wrong forum

I dont like patents on DNA either. But thats a government thing, not limited to monsanto.

Trying to pin suicides on monsanto is pretty absurd. They didnt cause the poverty in India, nor did they make people drink pesticides.
Much of the hate around GMOs is unsubstantiated fearmongering of the "unnatural"

The suicides are a direct response to monsantos aggression, it has happened around the world not just in india, but hey your precious free market could never do wrong.

A nonsensical myth pinned on a convenient scapegoat.
GMO seeds have boosted crop yields and alleviated poverty.

Trying to pin the remaining poverty, mental health issues, and other issues (including the personal choices of some Indians to kill themselves) directly on monsanto is outlandish.

btw the so-called "free market" in India is ranked #123 in economic freedom.
Their government was highly interventionist and corrupt, and embraced socialism post WW2.

Furthermore, no one is suggesting a free market magically makes everything perfect and nothing bad ever happens.

Seriously OP is totally biased.
Can add neonicotinoid GMO (killing bees) in his "pro" list...