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Posts Tagged ‘Monsanto’
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a drought resistant strain of corn developed by Monsanto, clearing the corn for sale in the United States.
Corn is the most prevalent crop grown in the United States with over 91 million acres grown this year alone. Over the last several years, corn production in the United States has skyrocketed, largely due to increased overseas demand and ethanol production.
Given the importance of corn to American farmers, the development of heartier strains has been a top concern for genetically modified food producers like Monsanto. When they applied for approval of their modified corn, Monsanto reported that about 40 percent of crop loss in North America was due to a lack of moisture.
According to a Monsanto official, “Our drought system is designed to help farmers mitigate the risk of yield loss when experiencing drought stress, primarily in areas of annual drought stress.”
Now that the USDA has approved their corn, Monsanto has announced that it plans farm trials across the Great Plains in order to prepare for commercial development and marketing.
Assuming the trials are successful, this new strain of corn could be sold globally, helping to ease international food shortages, particularly in drought-afflicted regions.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: genetically modified food, Monsanto, usda
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Sunday, December 4th, 2011
According to sources in New York, the Occupy Wall Street movement is planning a Farmers March for Sunday, December 4, in protest of corporate farming practices.
The Occupy Wall Street Movement has been a hot-button political issue for several months. Started on September 17, 2011, the movement has ballooned outside of New York, spreading to cities across the United States and even overseas to major European cities like London.
The movement opposes the influence of corporations and corporate money on the American political process and supports social justice, challenging current wealth distribution, which they claim place the overwhelming majority of the nation’s wealth in the hands of a small minority of individuals.
The Farmers March, they say, represents a major part of that unequal distribution of wealth. Large-scale corporate farmers have received the lion’s share of federal agricultural subsidies while simultaneously driving family farms out of business.
The majority of American agricultural products are currently grown on large-scale corporate farms.
Speakers at the Farmers March will include the president of the Iowa Family Farm Coalition, rural activists from across the country, and plaintiffs in the ongoing class-action lawsuit against food industry giant Monsanto.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: corporate farming, Monsanto, Occupy Wall Street
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Friday, June 17th, 2011
An agricultural disaster relief fund has been set up in Missouri. Following on the heels of a series of brutal storms across the Midwest and the Southern United States, Missouri farmers are in dire need of relief. Flooding along the Mississippi river has hit Missouri particularly hard, flooding tens of thousands of acres of valuable farmland and costing millions of dollars in lost revenue and repairs.
At the present, the new relief fund has raised about $150,000. $100,000 came from the agricultural giant Monsanto, while another $50,000 came from international aid sent primarily from Taiwan. The fund is administered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.
Money will be distributed in the following ways. $500 grants will be given to Missouri farmers in the form of immediate need grants. This money can be used for agricultural or household purposes and can only be distributed to families directly impacted by natural disasters. $5,000 grants to non-profit organizations or municipalities will be available for the purposes of rebuilding, reconstruction, or projects that help repair the larger farm community. Finally, grants over $5,000 can be made available in special instances. Any individual or organization can apply for these major disaster grants, but priority will be given to organizations helping large numbers of individuals.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: disaster relief, missouri, Monsanto
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Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
Across the country farmers are making serious efforts to reconnect with local consumers and with their neighbors as a whole. One of the major vehicles for this community outreach is the Future Farmers of America, an organization designed to groom young people for agricultural leadership and educate young Americans about the role of agriculture in everyday life.
In Wisconsin, for example, the FFA puts on annual farm trips for local schoolchildren, with the goal being to give them positive agricultural experiences. Earlier this month, the Wisconsin FFA hosted the 13th annual Day on the Farm, taking hundreds of K-4th graders to a local dairy farm. Members of the FFA were excited at the chance to show their fellow classmates how farms operate and to let them know how important agriculture is in their everyday life. In Missouri, a local FFA chapter won over $8,000 in scholarships and grants from food giant Monsanto for their work in connecting local farmers to their communities.
The FFA also serves an important role in replenishing the retiring farming population. Recent studies in several states show an increasingly aging agricultural community. With fewer young farmers entering the industry, the average age for farmers has increasingly risen. Maintaining a sustainable farm population is vital to the long-term health of American agriculture, so much so that some states offer tax breaks and subsidies for young farmers. In Iowa, however, recent surveys show that nearly 80% of FFA members plan to live and farm in Iowa. Many other state FFA’s serve a similar purpose, preparing younger farmers to enter the agricultural industry.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: Future Farmers of America, Monsanto, wisconsin
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Friday, April 1st, 2011
A group of organic farmers recently filed a lawsuit with agricultural giant Monsanto over patent disputes. The farmers filed their lawsuit preemptively, claiming that Monsanto has a history of suing when their genetically modified crops contaminate neighboring farms.
Monsanto, a multinational biotechnology company, spends significant amounts of money researching and growing genetically modified crops. Monsanto’s patents protect these genetically modified crops from patent infringement and theft.
The problem, however, according to organic farmers, is that local laws protecting intellectual property, can be damaging to neighboring farms. According to current laws, if genetically modified seeds are found in neighboring fields, the owner of those fields can be sued for patent infringement, even if the seeds found their way onto those farms due to cross contamination, a common problem in agricultural production.
Organic farmers claim that Monsanto has a history of these sorts of lawsuits and that they are seeking to monopolize food production in the U.S. while driving organic farms out of business. Monsanto claims that the preemptive lawsuit is nothing more than a publicity stunt and that concerns over genetically modified food are overblown.
The Public Patent Foundation, which is representing several organic farms and family farms, is challenging Monsanto’s patents and asking a judge to rule that cross contamination cannot automatically led to charges of patent infringement and theft of intellectual property.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: Monsanto, organic farming
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Monsanto, one of the world’s largest agriculture companies, is asking the Supreme Court to over turn a decision made by federal courts to prevent the company from selling genetically engineered alfalfa seeds.
Geertson Seed Farm opposes to the sales of these seeds and took the company to federal court. Geertson objects to the sales because the farm feels that the Roundup Ready alfalfa will cross-pollinate with other seeds preventing the ability to grow organic crops. The farm claims, “In a few years, it will be extremely difficult to avoid contamination from [genetically engineered] alfalfa to conventional alfalfa seed.”
Monsanto disagrees and claims the product is stronger seeds that is necessary and have “become a mainstay of American agriculture.” This is because genetically engineered seeds allow for higher yields and stronger seeds which is ultimately more money for farmers.
Charles Breyer, a federal judge, issued an injunction against Monsanto so the company has turned to the Supreme Court because the “science fiction-like scenarios” are unreal. One supreme court justice, Breyer’s brother (Stephen Breyer), removed himself from the case therefore only eight justices are voting on the issue. If the decision is split in half, the injunction will stay in place.
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Tags: Geertson Seed Farm, Monsanto
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