Blamed for Bee Collapse, Monsanto Buys Leading Bee Research Firm
by Anthony Gucciardi
April 19th, 2012 | Updated 11/17/2012 at 4:37 pm
Monsanto, the massive biotechnology company being blamed for contributing to the dwindling bee population, has bought up one of the leading bee collapse research organizations. Recently banned from Poland with one of the primary reasons being that the company’s genetically modified corn may be devastating the dying bee population, it is evident that Monsanto is under serious fire for their role in the downfall of the vital insects. It is therefore quite apparent why Monsanto bought one of the largest bee research firms on the planet.
It can be found in public company reports hosted on mainstream media that Monsanto scooped up the Beeologics firm back in September 2011. During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.
In fact, Beelogics’ company information states that the primary goal of the firm is to study the very collapse disorder that is thought to be a result — at least in part — of Monsanto’s own creations. Their website stated (at the time of writing this article):
While its primary goal is to control the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) infection crises, Beeologics’ mission is to become the guardian of bee health worldwide.
What’s more, Beelogics is recognized by the USDA, the USDA-ARS, the media, and ‘leading entomologists’ worldwide. The USDA, of course, has a great relationship with Monsanto. The government agency has gone to great lengths to ensure that Monsanto’s financial gains continue to soar, going as far as to give the company special speed approval for their newest genetically engineered seed varieties. It turns out that Monsanto was not getting quick enough approval for their crops, which have been linked to severe organ damage and other significant health concerns.
Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, states it quite plainly. It was a move to help Monsanto and other biotechnology giants squash competition and make profits. After all, who cares about public health?
“It is a concern from a competition standpoint,” Censky said in a telephone interview.
It appears that when Monsanto cannot answer for their environmental devastation, they buy up a company that may potentially be their ‘experts’ in denying any such link between their crops and the bee decline.
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Anthony is an accomplished investigative journalist whose articles have appeared on top news sites and have been read by millions worldwide. Anthony's articles have been featured on top health & political websites read by millions worldwide such as Reuters, Yahoo News, MSNBC, and Bloomberg. Anthony is also a founding member of Natural Attitude, a leading developer of super high quality spagyric formulations.
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this is bad journalism.
the article state that they bought a company researching viral bee collapse. all words past that are derailed speculation as to the purchasing of beelogics somehow speeding up the usda approval process? i dont get it. the only information in the article is just repeating the headline. there is nothing to show that beelogics had data showing gmo linked to ccd and then had is quashed by monsanto.
bad journalism.
this crap just waters down the real problems at monsanto. how around 1990 the finance devision overtook representation of researchers and they were cut out of the usda approval process. we need to do something about that. about ccd, not chasing ghosts.
First of all, even with GMO being banned in these countries and they are still experiencing bee collapse is because the Honey Bee is being breed and artificially inseminated. The new queens do no get to leave and do their dance in the sky where they are naturally fertilized to make a new healthy colony. Secondly, HORRIBLE FARMING PRACTICES is a HUGE freaking part of colony collapses. GMO or NOT, MONO-CULTURAL FARMS are DEVASTATING the land and reaping it of it's nutrients. People are falling to see all of this because, who gives a rats ass about dirt? It's just dirt, right? NO IT IS NOT! It is living just like you and I, it is alive and needs to be mended and it can not do it on it's own. Thirdly, this company is a pure representation of how awful corporations are and how quick they are to cover their tracks, just to line their pockets with some cash. CASH SHOULDN'T MATTER! Our most valuable resources are disappearing and I feel in the next ten to twenty years if people do not change their ways then we are doomed. America, Europe, China, Germany, the whole god damned world will be doomed because once you cross that line of taking too much and not giving enough back, then that's it man. It's over for us and we won't be able to fix it. On a side note!!! There is a man, Mike, who worked in the recycling industry for 20 something years and has figured out a way to not only sort out all the different types of plastics, but process them down into the same exact thing we get when we use oil to make plastic. It's truly incredible and you should check it out.
Nicole..you said it all…thanks for your comments!
This really sickens me. Why some people are afraid of the corruption of morality when individuals seek personal freedom yet turn blind eyes to the highest levels of our governance – big corporate interests – is beyond my understanding.
It's so easy to crush the little ones, one by one… easier still for the rest of us to not even be aware… I'm scared of the day when I'll not be able to find these awesome (as in awe inspiring) little marvels working, thriving and contributing to the system from which they are born, like this pretty girl:
http://www.blakehscott.com/photos/23_busy-bumble-…
Maybe they want to create GMO bees, splice a little cockroach DNA in them to make them breed like crazy and be impossible to kill. Then, when the cockbees escape and overrun the country, we’ll all get sued for letting them pollinate whatever plants might be on our property without paying Monsanto a licensing fee.
Honeyroaches, ewwwwwwww
lol, cockbees
Honeybees will work corn indoor plants. They accumulate the pollen off the tassles along with take it back in the beehive for the fresh bees to enjoy. Additionally, they will accumulate moisture droplets off the foliage that derives from a procedure plants undergo known as transpiration. These types of moisture drops consist of sugar through the corn flower that is attracting bees. The harmful chemicals that are to be utilized to treat the actual seeds remain systemic within the plant and that i have go through research that displays these chemicals tend to be showing up within the transpiration tiny droplets as well as pollen. I have already been maintaining bees for more than more than 20 years and sure are experiencing a problem the previous couple of maintaining colonies in existence!
Guys, you do realsie this happened in September 2011? There’s press statement under the COmpany News and Events section. Natural SOciety have been slow to catch the story.
Guys, you do realsie this happened in September 2011? There's press statement under the COmpany News and Events section. Natural SOciety have been slow to catch the story.
During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-bee-collapse-b…
fda = fraud & deathe assoc.
Kill Monsanto,
The only reason they bought the bee research firm is so they can get the research outcomes they would like, and not for any other reason!
Monsanto is truly evil.
I totally agree with you Mark. It was the first thing that came to my mind when i saw the headline. I am just sick about this. Folks, start putting away food that you can store for long periods of time. Within a few short years, we will have food shortages (especially important foods like fruits, some veggies, and other grains that require pollination, etc.) The only corn i eat is organic popcorn because it doesn't cross pollinate with GMO or other corns…it is a separate species.
I totally disagree mark, and in fact how is your post not evil with the use of the word "Kill". This article is off base and ignorant about CCD. I encourage the authors to read more, and please include scientific publications, to understand the bio-rational benefits from biotechnology.
How can genetically modified corn (which is pollinated by wind) be responsible for decline in bee populations.
Bees do not go to corn…
If the GM corn is responsible (by being poisonous) why are other insects (like bumble-bees) not affected?
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2…
The bees are fed high fructose corn syrup which contains the pesticide.
I think they drink the dew that settles on the corn as well.
Ok, sounds plausible.
Can easily be tested as well: don feed the bees this syrup but sugars from another source and the problem should be less (if the gm crops are still around they should have an effect, but by not given the syrup it should be less)
Another idea strikes me: a number of countries have banned GM crops and products all together, as far as i know a lot of european counties have. If this gm corn is the source, the problem shouldn't arise in those countries.
I think the problem is more from the use of Roundup…it causes all kinds of problems in insects AND animals (including humans). REsearch is showing infertility issues, and the overgrowth of organisms in the soil that are causing fungal infections in plants and animals (including insects). It's more than just the BT toxin in the plants.
Oh, forgot to mention: the question was about how GM corn could be responsible for dwindling bee populations. The link you posted is about how bees are very sensitive to a specific insecticide. Not quite an answer to the question
I guess you haven't heard that the bumble bee population is rapidly declining. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/01/bum…
No, hadn't heard that.
But the study also sees a decline over the last 2 or 3 decades. And the GM corn has not been around for that long, and certainly not on a large scale
So the question still stands: how can the GM corn be responsible. For the record: i am not saying it is not responsible, I just don't see how.
Insecticide: yes, I see that, and imidacloprid has been introduced in the early '90 ies which would rougly fit the 2 3 decades.
And another much blamed factor: the mobile phone also fits that timescale.
But GM corn: nope, doesn't fit the timeline.
Honeybees do work corn plants. They collect the pollen off of the tassles and take it back to the hive for the young bees to eat. They also will collect moisture droplets off of the leaves that comes from a process plants go through called transpiration. These moisture drops contain sugar from the corn plant that is attractive to bees. The chemicals that are being used to treat the seeds stay systemic in the plant and I have read research that shows these chemicals are showing up in the transpiration droplets and pollen. I have been keeping bees for over 25 years and we sure are having an issue the last few keeping colonies alive!
Aha, so basically: it is not the GM corn, but the associated chemicals used.
Not the corn, but the whole of the system in which it is used
My first concern is the chemicals. I have heard concerns about the BT showing up in the pollen and droplets but I haven't seen any research to back that up. I'm not saying it isn't there I just haven't seen anything yet. Times have changed in the beekeeping world, 10 years ago I could take packages and start new hives and make 50 pounds of honey. Now we are doing good just to get them to make it to the winter.
Monsanto has made the large scale farming industry dependent on chemicals… Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides; all toxic. That's what's killing the bees and other helpful biota. Not the corn…
The GMOs are killing our seed banks and giving people cancer… that's about all they're good for.
When you buy seed from Monsanto they package it nicely with a 4 season chemical treatment; which makes sure the only thing that survives in your field is a sickly stand of GMO's
The whole point of the GM corn is so that you can spray RoundUp on it to kill everything except the corn. The 'associated chemical' in this case is RoundUp, manufactured by Monsanto.
Like Israel is paying for critique of the critique of the nazionists I think Monsanto is paying for critique of the critique of the poisonous Monsanto products.
Yeah, John needs to do a little more research on GMO. Genetically modified organisms (seeds) produced genetically modified crops, which produce genetically modified pollen which in turn becomes sterile and ultimately insufficient for bee nourishment. In other words, with these modified types cause bees to become malnourished throughout the winter and into hybrination. Sorry but that has everything to do with GM responsibility. Of course, when big companies(like Monsanto and Pioneer Ag.) are strictly thinking $ and efficiency, I caqn see how they have the ability to cast shadows of doubt in people's minds. Do your research.
GMOs have been around for almost 30 years (25 at least).
Got an email about a job from Monsanto once.
Felt like the eye of Sauron was on me.
I'm still in hiding.
Alright, sounds credible. May be easily analyzed too: add feed the particular bees this particular syrup but sugar from another resource and the issue should be much less (if the gm crops are still around they should have an effect, but by not given the syrup it should be less). An additional idea strikes me: a number of countries have banned GM crops and products altogether, as much as i understand a lot of european counties have. If this gm corn is the source, the problem shouldn’t arise in those countries.
The problem my friend, is that GMO is just a cross link to many other impending issues with Colony Colapse Disorder. GM is just to name a few. In fact the number one leading cause in other and all over the world for CCD, is the parasite mite. The point is, the ban of GM and feeding bees another form of sugar is not solving the problem, especially regarding GMO planting.
Face Book groups: "Boycott All GMO Brandsd and Ingredients". Join and learn more. Foind info to take action on a personal level. Don't guy their stuff and the'll go out of business. Except, of course, for our govt ending up supporting them.
How is anyone to teach the children about the birds and the bees if the bees are dead. Bees pollunate natural God given seeds. Our seeds. The seeds belong to us, human beings, individuals, NOT high power, high finance corporations. GM disgusts me.
The birds are dying, as are the fish in the sea, damn you GM, damn you and all your filthy, hateful chemicals.
All my friends are dying, cancer, Motor Nuerone Disease (high metals in the blood stream), heart attacks, asbestosis, etc. These are young, vibrant people with lots of life to live, and they are dying.
To Hell with the big emotionless corporations, to Hell with their money, and to Hell with GM.
Bring back our market gardens, we will feed ourselves.
That's my buzz.
Monsanto is part of the problem, and so is Bayer. However, you have overlooked another, very significant part: Your part.
You–the five billion or so who subscribe to cell phones–may be part of the problem. Pulsed high frequency microwave radiation apparently interferes with the homing instincts of bees and their immune system and contributes to colony collapse.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/cellphones-contr…
Now you can no longer blame Big Bad Monsanto and Bayer for a problem you help cause. Stop supporting the cell phone industry and you may be able to save the bees.
By the way, the radiation from your cell phone is also very bad for your homing instinct and your health.
There is a documented increase in mistakes made, i.e. disorientation while driving, or driving on the wrong side of a high way, or failure to accomplish routine tasks, i.e. booking wrong flights etc., or sudden memory failure, i.e. by TV announcer who cannot articulate, so-called cell phone dementia. Some have seizures, stroke, etc. etc.) Read up on brain damage from cell phone, cancer, etc.
http://www.thehomeopathiccollege.org/portfolio-vi…
I don't use a cell phone, however, the ABC article cited is entitled that Cellphones MAY Contribute to CCD…not that they DO and the following excerpts from the article state only that additional research is needed:
"Among other factors, such as the varroa mite and pesticides, signals from mobile phones and masts could be contributing to the decline of honeybees around the world," Daniel Favre, a Swiss biologist and bee expert, said in a statement. "I am calling the international scientific community for more research in this field."
In an email, Favre himself said his research does not conclusively prove that cellphones are killing honeybees, but shows evidence that they impact bees' behavior and, he hopes that will lead to more research on the connection.
Dennis vanEngelsdorp of Penn State University's College of Agricultural Sciences said that while the study may show that a cellphone placed artificially close to bees could harm the colony, he said it does not mean that cellphones are responsible for the unusually large losses of bees documented in recent years.
"If cellphones were so responsible and so widespread, I think we'd see more consistent losses," he said.
Much of the recent interest in dying bees was sparked by reports of what is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) — bees suddenly disappearing from the hive — which partly contributes to the widespread decline of bees. But vanEngelsdorp said scientists now have a clearer sense of what is causing the widespread collapse of bee colonies — and it's not cellphones.
Pesticides, Disease, Poor Nutrition Weaken Bees' Immune Systems
"It's a whole bunch of causes combined together weakening the bees' immune systems, so they're not able to fight off infection," vanEngelsdorp said, adding that a few known factors are pesticide exposure, mice and fungal disease and poor nutrition. But scientists are still investigating why bees seem so vulnerable to these factors now.
did you even read the article? or just watch the video like a 7 year old?
at the bottom of the first page, it explicitly says…it's not cellphones. Besides…science is not conclusive just because of one study with outliers.
you are the reason why nobody can look at things like this and see real problems. because you keep coming out and blaming the aliens.
I'll be sure to put on my foil hat to protect me from the "dangerous" cell phone waves, man. I think Monsanto is causing a bit more harm than "cell phone usage". Call me crazy, but…
This is uper clever. Increase profits from both sides: the pesticides and seeds and from the (public funded) research and remedies against the damage. Something the psychopharmaca-psychiatry industry has been doing for ages.
Monsanto sucks but all the "mystery" about "bee colony collapse disorder" is propaganda.
The culprit is neonicotinoid pesticides marketed by Bayer. The make bees disoriented and susceptible to opportunistic infections by organisms such as the fungus Nosema. The adaptive "entombment" behavior exhibited by contaminated colonies is the single most accurate predictor of what individual colonies will collapse.
Neonicotinoids were banned in France in 1999 after 1/3 of their bee population died.
The culprit may turn out to be home pesticides rather than industrial seed coatings. Pesticides for home use are allowed to have something like 200x the amount of neonicotinoids as pesticides for industrial uses.
FYI.
Good of you to mention Bayer Corporation. Most people have no clue what they're trying to do, AND to make things worse, expect beekeepers to endorse their products as safe.
France, Germany, and Italy have banned neonicotinoids (neonic) and Italy's bee population rebounded shortly thereafter. The Sierra Club has informed the EPA, but no action has been taken–see the Sierra Club website for this info:
In light of the mounting evidence that new seed chemical coatings are deadly to bees, Sierra Club has been urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of specific chemical treatments to protect our bees and crops until more study can be done.
At issue are the nicotinyl insecticides (also known as neonicotinoids) being used in a new way — as seed coatings. For years, farmers have been spraying neonicotinoids onto their crops to stop insect infestation. Now huge agribusiness corporations have acquired patents to coat their proprietary corn seeds with these neonicotinoids. These “neonics” are extremely persistent. They enter the plant and are present in pollen and on droplets of water on leaves.
Federal agencies in France, Germany and Italy have already taken responsible regulatory actions to suspend use of these pesticides based on the best available scientific evidence. Strikingly, honeybee populations in Italy immediately rebounded when these chemicals were suspended!
The State of California has required that almost all 282 nicotinyl pesticide products be immediately re-evaluated because of toxic concentrations in pollen and nectar, and high residual concentrations in soil. Unfortunately, the EPA is moving too slowly to take action to suspend nicotinyl pesticides.
The Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team has been asking the EPA to suspend use of nicotinyl insecticides until the EPA obtains scientific evidence that sublethal effects do not cause harm to America's critically important honey bees. This has fallen on deaf ears. Now it's time for every citizen to make their voice heard!
We urge the American public to view the outstanding documentary entitled Nicotine Bees. Producer/Directors Kevin Hansen and Krista Keenan did a superb job researching, interviewing and splicing together an extraordinary story on the CCD problem. We suggest showing the 45-minute film at organizational meetings, home parties, classrooms and community events. Then add your voice to our demands to protect our pollinators!
Without a doubt, Nicotine Bees is a must see for every family, school and library to have!
To purchase the video or request a screening, see http://NicotineBees.com
After viewing this documentary, you are welcome to take action!
Contact EPA's Steve Owens at or call him at 1-202-5642902 to request a suspension of the neonicotinoid seed coatings until independent scientists verify safety.
Laurel Hopwood
Chair, Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team
Coordinator, Pollinator Protection Campaign
Read our 11Nov09 press release on our new Pollinator Protector Campaign web page.
The Pesticide Action Network also has petitions to the EPA and to Congress to take action against systemic neonicotinoids: http://www.panna.org
Info on this topic is also posted at:
http://www.beyondpesticides.com http://www.bouldercountybeekeepers.org
The GOP often cuts the EPA budget for regulating and monitoring polluters and chemical companies–we all know the mantra against 'big government' so do not think that government budgets are static regarding protecting citizens or the environment. EPA reports against dioxin and CO2 emissions were edited (blacked out) by administrations under the pretense that there was scientific disagreement, so morale has suffered at that agency due to their studies being undermined. The general procedure that has been accepted, though it sounds crazy, is for chemical companies to do their own testing and provide the results to be considered by the EPA, but the tests are not always scientifically valid. The EPA does not have the budget to do all their own testing, so it falls on independent researchers to question the findings of chemical companies–check out Tom Theobald's communications with the EPA in the Vanishing Bees youtube video at: http://www.panna.org/current-campaigns/bees
Since the banning of neoniconinoids in France in 1999 have there been any conclusive studies showing an increase in bee population? That was 13 years ago. Should be some sign by now. But you didn't say. Hmmm. What COULD that mean? Perhaps you are talking out your ass?
Meg- thank you for your information.
Wayne- a couple of folks did cite increases in the bee population specifically in Italy, so it's likely in France too. Do your research- or do you need someone else to spoof feed it to you?
Maybe you don't whip it out of your ass, but it would seem you get it from missi g someone else's.
These people are PURE EVIL. Anything for a dollar. Killing us and everything else. They used to make DDT !! Which the Government used to spray on school children !!
President Obama announced that he will recess appoint Islam A. Siddiqui to the position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Siddiqui is a pesticide lobbyist and Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, an agribusiness lobbying group that represents Monsanto.
Monsanto also was in on Agent Orange and we all know how that story turned out.
Many years ago I got into a controversy regarding using Montsanto chemicals at a school. What a mess. No one listened. Even found a concerned "employee" who said he would not allow his child to attend school for awhile after spraying. Local old school board….no concern. They threatened parents with reporting./negligence if kept kids out of school. I told that bunch of old idiots one day they would eat their words. Unfortunately…they all went on with fast pensions…instead of jail time ! Time for really firm action!! BAN MONTSANTO products from your community !! 100%….Bang the fancy golf courses….get going !! Out with the old…and also the young yuppies who don't care. ENOOUGH IS ENOUGH
Willow
Monsanto must be really proud of its GMO crops if it sues to prevent product labeling as such.
Yea, wish was just about money. It's about reducing worldwide population, and it's working great. I have idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, psoriatic arthritis, rigid diabetes, polyps growing in my liver, gallbladder, and lungs. Only 49, been dealing with it for past 8 years, this is past absurd. Lived a healthy life, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and running and lifting weights. Obviously too much GMO's and fluoride and chemical sugar substitutes. am mainly juicing raw fruits and veggies now, and nuts and such. Helping some, but jeez. Brother died at 51 from a stroke, was tall and lean. Cousin at 46. Daughter can't speak after shots at 2 years old. This is a horror show we are living in, and we are the stars. And 99 out of 100 people think you are nut when you talk about it. When the internet freedom gets shut down, we all are screwed without hope.
so true, and so sad.
http://youtu.be/OibqdwHyZxk Watch this. Everything you said in your post it true.
A friend went to http://www.thrivemovement.com and found some of the links blocked.
My daughter, at 1 couldn't speak after her jab
celiac, eczema, 3 operations. Organic now. How do these people sleep at night, it's like we have THE dumbest people in charge, I hope they realise that they are all going to Jail for atrocities against the entire planet! I bet they don't sleep well at night…..
Glad to see this getting shared, Monsanto needs to answer for their atrocities through legislative action.
I'm confused by this article. The article appears to imply that Beeologics had investigated and made a connection between Monsanto and the declining bee populations. And after Monsanto figured out that Beeologics made this connection, they bought Beeologics. The problem is that after doing about an hour of research I haven't been able to find a single piece of material from Beeologics which names Monsanto's products as a possible reason for the decline in bee populations.
Don't get me wrong, I hate Monsanto. I think they are made of evil. But I also believe that this article drums up hatred against Monsanto without backing up its claims with evidence. Basically, this article does not have enough evidence to support its claims. Bad journalism like this is almost as bad as the negative effects of Monsanto's business practices.
Where are all the papers and research from Beeologics that link Monsanto with CCD and other bee die-offs?
Hey, Charles. The point of the piece was to show that they bought up a leading research organization. Poland accused them of collapsing the bees (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/04/poland-to-ban-monsantos-genetically-modified-maize/).
Hope that helps.
You probably won't find any reports from Beeologics either. Monsanto made sure it was all deleted from the internet! !
if one false accusation can take down a company responsible for hundreds of other truths, than so be it. If a rapist is fasley accused of murder, i have no problem with him being incarcerated for the wrong crime.
What has happen to Jerry Hayes. I wonder what he has to say about Monsanto buying up the Beeologics firm. Is he still looking after all of us "small beekeepers"?
Jerry Hayes is no longer looking out for us beekeepers! He went to work for Monsanto's new company Beeologics. I listened to him in a meeting rip Monsanto apart about how they do business then a month later he is going to work for them. Jerry going there really makes me wonder what is up!
Jerry Hayes sold out. It's just that simple. I don't think he ever was on the side of the beekeeper. And his opinions are the only opinions. He once told me at a meeting, when I tried to discuss natural beekeeping (FGMO fogging in particular) to "shut up and sit down."
It's not even about money; Monsanto is a very unique part of the military industrial complex, which currently controls two-thirds of the planet's food supply. Our government has given them marching orders and permanent green lights to literally weaponize food in an effort to cull as many humans will mindlessly consume it. It's as simple as that. Look at it this way, if this secretive company was doing something that actually benefited the health of consumers, why would they go to such great lengths to prevent the labeling of GMO and hide their presence in products? The state of Vermont is currently trying to pass a bill requiring the labeling of products either partially or fully genetically modified, called the “VT Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act.” Monsanto has in turn threatened to sue the entire state of Vermont.
http://rt.com/usa/news/monsanto-sue-gmo-vermont-4…
Why are they working so hard to hide what they and their government backers are nefariously foisting upon the American people?
Anybody who thinks Monsanto is an ok company should google or wicki "Percy Schmeiser". He is a farmer who fought Monsanto for 10 long years before finally winning. His life/welfare-and those of his family were threatened, he was continually sued, stalked, etc by employees of Monsanto. Pretty nasty stuff…for a corporation that wants to "feed the world". I suspect it more about profit at any cost to anyone other than Monsanto.
Also might want to google "Bovine Growth Hormone" (POSILAC) and see the nasty stuff Monsanto was marketing to the dairy farmers who provide most of the milk in the US…before it sold its rBGH to Eli Lily…
Oh, and its a chemical company that does biotech. Famous for such winning chemistry as: Saccharin, Aspertame (Phenylalnine), DDT, Agent Orange, Roundup (Glyphosate), Terminator Seed, etc.
Monsanto has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as being a "potentially responsible party" for 56 contaminated sites (Superfund sites) in the United States. Monsanto has been sued, and has settled, multiple times for damaging the health of its employees or residents near its Superfund sites through pollution and poisoning.
In 2002, The Washington Post carried a front page report on Monsanto's legacy of environmental damage in Anniston, Alabama related to its legal production of polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs), a chemical once used as a common electrical insulator, 40 years ago. Plaintiffs in a pending lawsuit provided documentation showing that the local Monsanto factory knowingly discharged both mercury and PCB-laden waste into local creeks for over 40 years.[48] In a story on January 27, The New York Times reported that during 1969 alone Monsanto had dumped 45 tons of PCBs into Snow Creek, a feeder for Choccolocco Creek which supplies much of the area's drinking water. The company also buried millions of pounds of PCB in open-pit landfills located on hillsides above the plant and surrounding neighborhoods.[49] In August 2003, Solutia and Monsanto agreed to pay plaintiffs $700 million to settle claims by over 20,000 Anniston residents related to PCB contamination.
…and the hits keep on comin'….
no one is asking the right question?
why is this sale even allowed ?, the conflict of interest and the likelihood of coercion and fraud should intantly have this deal squashed by the DOJ and the SEC. Since when can the foxes install thier own security at the hen house. how come our gov sticks its nose into everything except the issues that matter and will benefit the people.
Kirk….My thought exactly !!!
The paramount question is: Why did BeeLogics sell out to Monsanto in the first place? That in and of itself lends one to question their very mission statement!!! Were they offered so much they couldn't say 'no'? And how can we who are concerned about our world believe Beelogics cannot be compromised? Monsanto will let them point the finger at their owner? PLEASE!!!
That is the same question I have. Why did they sell to them? $$$$$ it is the answer to everything you know?? We as the consumer have to advocate for ourselves. Buy local and freeze for the winter those veggies you bought in the summer. Don't buy Monsanto junk, put the creeps out of business. Of course they own enough to make that hard but it can be done.
Fact: the bees in my area of the US are dying. It costs money to replace the queens each year. I talk to bee keepers and they are not happy. We must stand united against the infringement of our rights to farm without any company becoming a monopoly. I urge all of us to unite now.
Refuse to buy products containing GMO crops (soy, corn, sugar beets, some wheat, rice, etc.). Stop waiting for our federal government to do anything. Monsanto is good at what it does. So is McDonald's. They are doing their job which is profit without any regard to Mother Earth.
Stop waiting for others to do what needs to be done. Unite together with our wallets.
You would think with the Internet we would be more united not distracted by corporate owned media, etc. We should be more upset about Monsanto's other purchases including seed giant Seminis.
If GM crop are not bad for the human body and the ecosystem, then why would other countries deem it necessary to ban GM crops?
They are terribly bad for you and the environment. They should be banned from us soil but are backed by our govt. Research Monsanto and it's war on scientists!
Why are witches burned at the stake? Why are heretics hung by the neck until dead? Why must Galileo recant?
Answer: Ignorance and hearsay. Yah, mokes!! Stop eating entirely unless you gathered it by hand!! Everything else is produced by some method that harms the environment. You probably still think food comes from the grocery store. Damn City Mice! Think you know it all.
Owning one's own research firm? Priceless! Just making your 'research' work for you, that's all!
Monsanto employees, this is great, maybe you can help me. I want to eat as much GMO as I can, but the grocers I talk to are not able to inform me which products to buy that I will get GMO.
Can one of you Monsanto evangelists please tell me where I can buy some bona fide GMO food products?
I don't work for them, but, not to worry. If you're not growing your own food with non modified seed that does not get cross pollinated from a nearby monsanto seed user, and if you eat meat, eggs or dairy, fed on modified feed, you are eating GMO food. Upwards of 90% of all corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from genetically engineered seeds, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These genetically enhanced products appear in around 70% of all American processed food products. And Monsanto controls 90% of all genetically engineered seeds. In other words, Monsanto controls — and owns patents on — most of the American food supply.
Unless you're in Europe, where modified food is regulated.
Does it mean that we are going to get a GMO bee now? and GMO honey. I wonder who they are going to criss-cross it with?
They will cross them with the politicians that made it all possible and legal
groan
Our honey is already GMO.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/gmo-hone…
So many paid Monsanto commentors right now it's amazing.
Did you know that if a plant is chemically sprayed-treated at your local nursery that those chemicals continue to contaminate the pollen of that plant for up to 3 years….3 YEARS!
Ask your local nursery or garden center what was used on their plants. Big box retailers..won't have a clue. Your local nursery most likely will know and should be able to tell you exactly what they've us.
Good article that we should all take a minute to educate ourselves on what is happening..studies are being done and this article talks about one of them.
Small steps is all I'm asking folks..we can make a difference but we have to start making those small steps in the right direction.
http://www.rodale.com/pesticides-bees?cm_mmc=OGGa…
Monsanto is not a biotechnology firm; they are a CHEMICAL company. And the chemicals which they produce have nothing to do with biology, nature or life, but only with the production of money and profits. Everything else is "collateral damage."
who are you to say what they are and what they are not? Do you know all of Monsanto's business dealings and Research and Development techniques? No? Okay, then stop throwing around the word "is" like you know everything…
Are you kidding me?? Obviously you don't know a darn thing about Monsanto!! Read up on them, and then come back and defend a corporation that is killing us, and putting farmers out of work. They are one of many that will be the downfall of this country. They only care about profits, and the hell with health and well being of humans, or anything else.
He knows all about Monsanto. It's his job to obfuscate facts.
no one is asking the right question?
why is this sale even allowed ?, the conflict of interest and the likelihood of coercion and fraud should intantly have this deal squashed by the DOJ and the SEC. Since when can the foxes install thier own security at the hen house. how come our gov sticks its nose into everything except the issues that matter and will benefit the people.
For all you know, that person may be the CEO of Monsanto. This is the internet. Assume nothing.
Anyone who works for this insidious organization should be ashamed. Putting profit over people is their creed. Pure evil, I hope bad things happen to Monsanto and their lackeys.
Just think Bill ( get-your-shots) Gatesofhell bought a huge chunk of Monsatan
Maybe his financial analyst made the purchase. Or maybe Mr. Gates bought a chunk of the company to use his influence to make Monsanto more responsible?
Regarding Monsanto's lackeys: It's nearly impossible to convince someone of the truth when their paycheck depends on the lie.
Any credibility Beelogics ever had is right out he window now. Good move!
Yet another environmental crime, very sad.
They start a research company, and prove to everyone, that money talks… They are showing everyone that everyone has a price tag, and we are all sell-outs.
But, not everyone can be bought, only the weak and greedy. Shame on them…
Disgusting
Wow so many Monsanto employees in the comments here sprouting BS
Monsanto is evil
Monsanto kill the wildlife.
And where do you get your information, Mr. Illiterate Oscar? Have you ever been in school past the 3rd grade?
Funny that you link to an article claiming it 'proves' GM crops cause 'organ damage', when it contains the following disclaimer:
"The 90-day-long tests are insufficient to evaluate chronic toxicity, and the signs highlighted in the kidneys and livers could be the onset of chronic diseases"
Also, it's rather tiresome to hear people insist that Monsanto is evil or that GM foods only exist for 'profit'. Do some research on Normal Borlaug, or Malthus. There is not enough arable land to feed the current world population without GM foods.
I will also point out that nobody can buy a company that isn't willing to sell.
But as these are all obvious points, you must be ignoring them … so rave on.
How much does Monsanto pay you?
Exactly as much as Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky pay you.
Buahhahahahahaha…yeah you gotta be one of them their liberals to bash a corporation like Monsanto!!! It's greedheads like that that make our nation great!!
Just how DID Michael Moore become such a tub of lard? I'll bet he eats waaaaay more than his share of food. Think of all the starving children in the world needing the food that pig is stuffing down his craw.
He's just a private citizen concerned about all of this Monsanto bashing. Although they've created things like terminator seeds and new legal precedents suing people who's crops get pollinated by their franken-seeds, Monsanto is all about the love for humanity when you get down to it.
What does imidacloprid have to do with gm crops and Monsanto. It's a synthetic pesticide sprayed on crops made by an entirely different company.
1. Feeding the world isn't about land, it's about distribution of resources. See 12 Myths of World Hunger by Francis Moore Lappe.
2. The health effects of GMO on people, animals and plants hasn't been studied enough, which is the main argument against GMO and for more independent research.
3. Because the owners of this company chose to sell out doesn't change the effect this has on objective research.
4. Monsanto is against labeling genetic foods, has the resources to stifle criticism and do their own 'research' which passes as objective because they are 'experts.' That's pretty evil by almost any standard.
ReallyThen wrote "There is not enough arable land to feed the current world population without GM foods."
What an absolute lie. GM monoculture may outperform traditional organics (jonly just and is up for debate) but Permaculture and multi teared forest gardening can outperform GM yields at half the price and at a fraction of the energy input. Monsanto have not increased yields, all they have done is temporarily halted crop losses. Of course this is now being negated by superweeds and superpests that have evolved to live on this whole new blue ocean food supply monsanto have unwittingly created. It's almost like you don't understand biodiversity and monocropping and the huge reliance on fossil fuels this technique requires.
Monsanto isn't evil , they just rely on monocropping to make their money, so will do everything in their power to see its continuation. I don't even worry about this company anymore, all the best agricultural universities are teaching about biodiversity, polyculture and sustainability. Monsanto will be bankrupt before the decade is out due to a crappy business model based on out of date thinking. Poor poor fools.
High five, timy. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Lol @ monsanto employees , they are the only ones that go around defending their crappy business. As a cult it's probably worse than scientologoy. An old friend of the family works for monsanto and uses monsanto's own website as an information source when discussing things about his company. They really have them brainwashed at that place. People will wonder in the future how people at that company could be so unfathomably closed minded and brain dead. They'll go down in history as worse than the nazis. But the truth is their not evil, just really really easily brainwashed average joes.
speaking of, this story reminds me of how the church of scientology bought out the Cult Awareness Network…
This is total garbage! GM foods are not the answer to feeding the world. It's the answer to how to fatten the wallets of those invested in them. There have been hundreds of viable farms run by family farmers growing heirloom seeds that have been shut down because they could not keep the wind from blowing seeds onto their fields and were thus sued for the shirts off their backs. These GM seeds are not only blowing onto farms but into the wild, where they are replacing native plant species and turning the ecosystems on their heads. It's horrible. Now onto wildlife. Yes, Monsanto IS evil and we will not stop saying so. They will do anything and everything to keep getting richer, at the expense of the entire planet and they have the power, money, connections, etc. to do so. It's sickening.
We wouldn't need to make more crops if we took care of the ones we do have. So much waste is incurred by our methods of transport and storage of crops. 1/2 the food we grow gets thrown out because of this as well as restaurant waste.
Messing with genetics is going to lead nowhere. Over long periods of time people have had great success with encouraging traits in plant varieties, and this can be a good thing- it leads to more diversity. It comes from long years of careful observation.
Monsanto wants to do away with plant diversity, at the expense of the whole planet, for the monetary profit of the few, without any regard for future generations. This is evil: "profoundly immoral and malevolent" (definition from the dictionary), and i think the term fits. They only want to be in control of the food crops, and make a sh-tload of money. Monsanto doesn't care about feeding the hungry. Monsanto does not care about the negative health results from its products.
That's absolute BS. The world population is not too big, and there is PLENTY of FARM land. You're a plante. want the truth? http://www.infowars.com
Not too many people? Tell that to the people in India and Bangladesh and China and Japan and…
In your reality, just how many is too many, then?
They are both erresposable SOBs
@RT – "Also, it’s rather tiresome to hear people insist that Monsanto is evil or that GM foods only exist for ‘profit’. Do some research on Normal Borlaug, or Malthus. There is not enough arable land to feed the current world population without GM foods."
If Monsanto is NOT about the profits, then why are they suing for patent infringements when their GMO's contaminate neighboring crops? And, if they're about "feeding the world", then release those seeds instead of charging huge royalties. Norman Borlaug even admitted that he was wrong in his original comments regarding "feeding the world" and enough land to do it.
"I will also point out that nobody can buy a company that isn’t willing to sell."
From Wiki – A hostile takeover allows a suitor to take over a target company whose management is unwilling to agree to a merger or takeover. A takeover is considered "hostile" if the target company's board rejects the offer, but the bidder continues to pursue it
"Funny that you link to an article claiming it ‘proves’ GM crops cause ‘organ damage’, when it contains the following disclaimer:
“The 90-day-long tests are insufficient to evaluate chronic toxicity, and the signs highlighted in the kidneys and livers could be the onset of chronic diseases”
Funny that you use quotes unrelated to the bee article itself to refute its validity. Did Monsanto but this company? Yes. Did this company do research on bees, causes of colony collapse etc? Yes. Are some of Monsanto's products directly or indirectly responsible for the demise of honeybees? We may never know since that data is now owned by Monsanto.
The goal of Monsanto in purchasing this company is MOST OBVIOUS but you must be ignoring that ….. so we have very right to rave on!
you moron geoff.
Typical moron with delusions of scientific intellectualism. 900 scientists showed GM foods WON'T feed the world, and they're worse than traditional farming. I invite you to read 'Failure to Yield' as well, and then tell me GM foods are needed.
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/scienc…
I don't know if you're being paid to write this garbage or not, but you really should get your facts straight.
Dr. Roberts
How many "scientists" declared the world flat? How many MD's swore the only way to deal with polio was to bind the patient in a "position of function"? Dr. Mengele was a doctor too. Really doesn't pull too much weight with me.
I feel sorry for you for sticking up for these idiots. Monsanto is the root of all evil in America. We will not know their damage to the environment, or our bodies for many, many years. By then, it will be irreversible. They won't care, because they will all be on an island partying with our BILLIONS of dollars we've spent making them rich!! If they were such a great corporation, why do they have a warehouse full of attorneys sitting all day suing our hard working farmers because some of THEIR seeds flew over on the farmer's land??
Hope you pass this on to your fellow employees at Monsanto…
RT If you 're so wimpy tired of hearing it… DONT GO to where the truth will smack ya .. REALLY simple .
MONsatan is what it is and people like you are assleep or paid to lie . Either way, most of us aint buying the BS no more!
It takes the SAME AMOUNT OF LAND to grow GM foods as it does to grow natural organic foods!… Lmao, ok slick Rick….why don't you just slither along and stop trolling conversations being had by people who actually give a shit…
How about the fact that FARMERS (who have successfully fed their communities for generations) are being attacked by Monsanto. Monsanto coupled with the FDA (and other agricultural organizations), is draining these privately owned farms with legal fee after legal fee, until they go broke and shut down. THATS how they're getting rid of their competition! And Monsanto doesn't just make chemical pesticides….THEY GENETICALLY MODIFY SEEDS…THEY ARE PLAYING GOD. But People are actually buying things like "grapples" (grape flavored apples! Aka an abomination!..taking what god made PERFECT, they are changing. They don't want our food to nourish us…it's POPULATION CONTROL!!!), to feed to their families. We need to ALL DEMAND GMO products BE LABLED, SO WE CAN BOYCOTT THEIR SALE. Monsanto wants complete monopoly of the farming industry, they are corporatizimg it all, and we are LETTING them win. They are also, ALREADY, controlling SEED DISTRIBUTION ON A GLOBAL LEVEL…and these countries that we are "helping" grow food….are LOSING their HEIRLOOM seeds (which grow fruit with SEEDS, that are in turn used to replant the next season!!!), with STERILE SEEDS!!! This means Monsanto will decide IF you can feed your family or not, what and how much you CAN have, and at what COST. We are losing our rights fast people! If we don't stand together, and do it now…we will lose our right to choose (ANYTHING!)…
you must have connections with monsanto. Either that ,or u buy the propaganda of the multi cooperations.
Well, it seems counterintuitive that we city-dwellers are able to be the saviors in an environmental problem, but again, it's pretty simple: urban bees are less exposed to the chemicals used on farms. It's as basic as that. So the best way we can help these critters that selflessly do so much for us is to provide safe homes for them. Enter the Bikube! The Bikube is an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-install, contemporarily-designed beehive customized for urban environments. You can put the Bikube on your wall, fire escape, garden fence, or anywhere you see fit. But before these hives can get to you, we need your kind and generous help. The bees and I can't do it without your assistance. *phew* Sweet. I'm in. So how can I help? With your support, together we can build a studio and acquire the materials that will allow me to turn these hives out almost as fast as bees make honey, all in an off-the-grid permaculture design studio to help minimize environmental impact. So we are asking you, the internet family of bees lovers, to help.
https://www.crowdtilt.com/campaigns/the-bees-knee…
It's not quite that easy, Adam. There aren't enough wild bees to pollinate the crops and one would need a queen bee to start a hive. Domestic beekeepers have to truck the hives around the country to pollinate various crops, e.g. the almond trees in CA, which are heavily sprayed with pesticides, so the poor bees have to undergo 'detox' for a month before being trucked to apple orchards in NY and blueberry fields in ME, etc. All this monoculture is stressful on bees and poor nutritionally. But it IS a good plan to support local beekeepers, or become one yourself, and purchase wildflower honey at farmers' markets. Hard to control the GMO exposure, though, if local gardeners are using those seeds. We need to keep the pressure on regarding labeling GMO products and not purchasing them.
just like DEFRA in UK sponsoring bee research…while refusing to admit CLEAR evidence of Bayers killer chem
defra takes funding FROM Bayer.
got someone exposing your lies and murders?
buy em up.
Us against the Machine