4 ms·

High yield GMO rice and wheat allows developing countries to feed themselves even when they lack ideal farming conditions. Monsanto might be evil but it appear

• pm90 13y ago
  Yes, and then they sue the hell out of the farmers who use the seeds to grow their own crops (because you need to buy fresh from Monsanto every time). If there's one company that is pure evil, it is this one.
  • Blahah 13y ago
    No, they don't. Having studied the case histories of Monsanto, I can say with confidence that they are careful to bring cases only against farmers who they think have deliberately infringed on the patent agreements. As a plant scientist who has studied the history of agriculture, I can tell you that since the 1950s, farmers have freely chosen to purchase seed every year from suppliers. This was initially because hybrids became the best-yielding varieties, and hybrids only keep their best characteristics for one generation ("hybrid vigour"). Now it's because licensing requires it to fund the massive R&D spend that improving crop productivity requires. For the vast majority of farmers, it makes economic sense to buy every year. It's not a trap, and they aren't idiots being fooled by "big ag". Monsanto have done some evil things in the past when they were a different company. Now they're a pretty decent company with a terrible PR problem.
    • mistermann 13y ago
      If you're on reddit, you must have like negative ten trillion karma.