bande annonce film Monsanto
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From creating Agent Orange for the Vietnam War to patenting seeds and genetically modifying crops, Monsanto is one of the largest – and most controversial – corporations in the world.

This three year investigation reveals previously unpublished documents and first hand accounts from scientists and politicians, and paints a grim picture of their legacy.

In recent years, Monsanto has tried to market itself as a “life sciences” company with a clean, green image to feed the world.

But this film by French journalist, Marie-Monique Robin blows away all that expensive advertising by piecing together  Monsanto’s legacy of environmental crimes and health scandals.

She takes a look at the air-brushed image and questions what the future would look like according to Monsanto.

The National Film Board of Canada (who part funded the investigation) writes…

The World According to Monsanto pieces together the story of the St. Louis, Missouri, corporation, calling on hitherto unpublished documents and first-hand accounts by scientists, civil society representatives, victims of the company’s toxic activities, lawyers, politicians, and representatives of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.

Based on a three-year investigation in North and South America, Europe and Asia, the film tells the tale of an industrial empire that, thanks in part to misleading reports, collusion with the American government, pressure tactics and attempts at corruption, has become one of the world’s biggest seed manufacturers.

It shows how the clean, green image conveyed by the company’s advertising serves as a smoke screen for Monsanto’s quest for market supremacy, to the detriment of global food security and environmental stability.

With 17,500 employees, a 2006 sales figure of $7.5 billion and operations in 46 countries, Monsanto is the world leader in genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as one of the most controversial corporations in industrial history.

Since its founding in 1901, the company has faced trial after trial due to the toxicity of its products, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polystyrene, devastating herbicides like Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam war, and bovine growth hormones, which are yet unauthorised in Canada and banned in Europe.

Today, Monsanto has reinvented itself as a “life sciences” company converted to the virtues of sustainable development. Thanks to its genetically modified seeds, engineered among other things to withstand Monsanto’s Roundup, the world’s bestselling herbicide, the company claims it wants to solve world hunger while reducing environmental damage.

The documentary reveals the “revolving door” between the White House and Monsanto. This is illustrated by one individual who worked for Monsanto, before taking over as the deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he made crucial decisions leading to the approval of GM food crops. He then returned once again to Monsanto – this time, as vice president for public policy.

Despite little testing Monsanto supplies 90 percent of all GM crops for US farmers. They  also have huge world-wide influence.

This film focuses on Indian cotton farmers, in serious debt and desperation, after using Monsanto seeds. The film also reveals the number of farmer suicides in Indian villages has sky-rocketed.

One of the most shocking opinions in the film is from the academic and environmentalist, Dr. Vandana Shiva who claims Monsanto’s agenda is that the world will depend on them for every seed we plant and every crop we grow. Scary stuff indeed.

The film has been divided up into ten sections which you can view below. If you’re after more background, check out the excellent article in Vanity Fair on Monsanto and discover how Monsanto reinvented themselves in our Find out more section below.

And if you’re feeling fired up, check out the selection of “no Monsanto” campaigns.

Photo credit: Thanks to The World According to Monsanto.

Section 1 – Who are Monsanto?

Section 2 – GM and the scientist who claims he was silenced.

Section 3 – Is that hormones in your milk?

Section 4 – Ex-FDA officials accuse the agency of manipulating scientific data.

Section 5 – The Monsanto and FDA “revolving door”.

Section 6 – Alleged scientific data manipulation and harassment of whistle-blowers.

Section 7 – Scientist accuses Monsanto of “bad science” and leaving important data out of research.

Section 8 – Academic and environmentalist, Dr. Vandana Shiva claims Monsanto’s agenda is that the world will depend on them for every seed we grow.

Section 9 – Traditional Mexican corn becomes contaminated with GM plants.

Section 10 – Paraguay government forced to legalise GM seeds as according to the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, they had already arrived in the country in an “unorthodox” way.

Find out more

Read:

Vanity Fair story on Monsanto.

The World According to Monsanto website.

Vandana Shiva on Wikipedia and check out her environmental movement, challenging Monsanto’s position Navdanya International.

Spinwatch on just how Monsanto managed to reinvent themselves with a clean, green image.

Monsanto and Greenpeace go head to head.

Monsanto’s side of the story.

Campaign:

Check out Debate Your Plate’s Act Now on GM crops.

The EU has just approved growing GM crops for the first time in 12 years. But a new initiative allows 1 million EU citizens a chance to make official requests of the European Commission. Sign the petition to ban GM foods until further research is done.

Check out GM Freeze – a no GM organisation.

Combat Monsanto, a global based protest group, detailing world wide campaigns.

Check out the US based Organic Consumers Association, “Millions Against Monsanto” campaigns.

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Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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