In Monsanto faces global disdain, but  In its latest show of endorsing controversial genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Dekalb Vietnam, which operates under US mega-corporation Monsanto, Pioneer Hi-Bred Vietnam under the US’s Dupont, and Syngenta of Switzerland, were licensed to carry out lab research and tests on the seeds here in 2011. The results of that research are currently being examined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which will have the final say on approving their sale in the country. The companies also late last year received the endorsement of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which announced that their worm- and weed killer-resistant varieties are environmentally friendly. These developments are in line with an ambitious 2006 government blueprint to develop GM crops as part of a “major program for the development and application of biotechnology in agriculture and rural development” aimed at improving yields and feeding a population of 90 million. The plan aims to have some GM crops cultivated in But environmental activists point to the irony that just as Americans are revolting against GMOs in greater numbers, “There has been an unprecedented upsurge of consumer rejection against GMOs in the US,” Jeffrey Smith, author of the bestseller Seeds of Deception and founder of the Iowa-based NGO Institute for Responsible Technology, toldVietweek. In the The New York Times reported last year that food companies were scrambling to secure non-GMO supplies, and that farmers were commanding higher premiums for non-GMO crops. More and more conventional food companies are giving up GMOs. Breakfast cereals Cheerios and Grape Nuts, the home brand of the Target chain, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Chipotle’s chain of Mexican food restaurants have all gone GMOs-free or will do so shortly. In Just last week Chinese importers canceled purchases of four cargoes of US corn, after one cargo was diverted to Vietnam a week earlier as a dispute over an unapproved GM strain remained unresolved. The newswire quoted the US Department of Agriculture as saying that the cancellation of 220,000 tons of corn by Analysts say that by allowing GMOs into the country via field trials, the Vietnamese government risks its entire export market advantage as foreign markets do not necessarily trust exporters’ ability to segregate non-GMO shipments. They point to one prominent case in which Europe shut down 99 percent of its corn imports from the “The economics of GMOs just doesn’t add up,” Smith said. “The [Vietnamese] government is getting skewed advice from the biotech industry and from their chief supporter—the A little too ironic Monsanto, one of the three companies flaunting their GM corn varieties in Activists point out that by introducing GMOs paired with the toxic weed killer Roundup, the tragedy of Agent Orange might repeat itself. According to the Missouri-based company website, Roundup works by being absorbed into a plant’s leaves and entering the sap system. From there, it works its way down to the roots where it begins to quickly kill the plant. The company states that Roundup is only active in plants, and that it becomes inactive once it touches the soil. But Monsanto, the world’s leading producer of GM seeds, was convicted by a French court in 2007 for false advertising due to its claims that Roundup was biodegradable and left the soil “clean.” It has also been caught falsifying data in its studies. Despite company claims to the contrary, various independent studies have pointed out that lab animals that consumed soybeans or corn treated with Roundup developed serious reproductive problems. There were changes in testicles, uteruses, the DNA functioning of their offspring, up to a fivefold increase in infant mortality, fewer and smaller babies, and sterile offspring. Last May, activists around the world joined annual marches against Monsanto. The date was chosen because it was when Monsanto shareholders convened for their annual general meeting in The movement took place against a company that “bribed an Indonesian official to block an environmental impact study of its genetically modified cotton, sued farmers for allowing Monsanto seeds accidentally blown onto their fields to grow, and helped defeat California labeling proposition,” according to the New York Times. But the global disdain and backlash against the global seed giant has apparently failed to thwart Monsanto’s progress in “Monsanto's interest in The irony hit its crescendo as the government honored Monsanto as a “sustainable agriculture company” at a national function last month. “At Monsanto, we are committed to sustainable agriculture. We are pleased that this honor recognizes that commitment,” Nguyen Hong Chinh, a spokesman for Monsanto “This recognition reflects the dedicated work of Monsanto employees who have been working together with farmers and partners in Chinh said the demonstration of GM corn is scheduled to take place in April or May to show the public the need to grow GM corn to reduce But experts have long cringed at Monsanto’s repeated claims that it supports sustainable agriculture in countries like The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development report is considered the most comprehensive analysis of agriculture and sustainability in history. It concludes that the high costs for seeds and chemicals, uncertain yields and the potential to undermine local food security make biotechnology a poor choice for the developing world. GMOs in their current state have nothing to offer the cause of feeding the hungry, alleviating poverty, and creating sustainable agriculture, according to the report. “Please don’t make the mistake of not listening to the more than 400 scientist authors of this comprehensive report,” Smith, the Iowa-based expert, said. “Monsanto is consistently voted each year as the most hated corporation on earth.”
By An Dien, Thanh Nien News |
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