How Crops Are Genetically Modified

Monsanto “tested” GMO higher-yield seeds and deliberately falsified records that the government officially recognized and used as a basis for the seeds to be cleared for sale to the public. Monsanto’s seeds were never actually tested in a laboratory, let alone in the real world to determine how they would effectively perform. In addition to a beneficial gene that made the plant resistant to pesticides, Monsanto also genetically modified its seeds to incorporate a “terminator gene”. As such, farmers could grow more crops, but due to the “terminator gene” they were forced to buy new seeds after every harvest, which obviously meant a large expense and simultaneously yielded a large corporate profit. On an actual farm, the wind spread Monsanto’s seeds from field to field and eventually these seeds would grow in an adjacent field cultivated by a neighbor. Not only would Monsanto’s seeds ruin the neighboring farmer’s original seeds which he had spent many years perfecting, but Monsanto also effectively took ownership of the field’s yield. Eventually farmers were able to file claims against Monsanto in court, but they were also forced to switch to growing a different crop. Monsanto is an example of how untested GMO products can wreak havoc on society. Below is a Venn diagram of Monsanto’s views about their seeds.