Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The World According to Monsanto

The World According to MonsantoThe World According to Monsanto by Marie-Monique Robin
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
The result of a remarkable three-year-long investigation that took award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin across four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), The World According to Monsanto tells the little-known yet shocking story of this agribusiness giant--the world's leading producer of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)--and how its new "green" face is no less malign than its PCB- and Agent Orange-soaked past.


Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a "life sciences" company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world's genetically modified corn and soy--ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households--and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern.

Released to great acclaim and controversy in France, throughout Europe, and in Latin America alongside the documentary film of the same name, The World According to Monsanto is sure to change the way we think about food safety and the corporate control of our food supply.

My take:
This book is extrememly important and upsetting to read.  It is time that we start thinking more about the future of our children and the planet than about short-term profits or gaining control of the food supply in order to improve those profits at the expense of farmers and consumers. Corporations are not more important than people and our society needs to change its priorities. 

This book is hard for me to review because there are so many issues addressed in the book that I find important. The book seems to be well researched and includes extensive notes. I would highly recommend it.

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