Combatting Monsanto

The report details a global movement of small-scale farmers and activists resisting the corporate power of agribusiness, specifically Monsanto. It highlights legal battles, moratoria, and direct actions against GM crops in Europe, India, Latin America, and Africa. The document argues that the 'green economy' and 'climate-smart agriculture' frameworks are being used to further corporate control over seeds and land through market-based mechanisms and carbon offsets, while promoting food sovereignty as a sustainable alternative.

• Monsanto holds a dominant position in the global seed market, controlling 27% of the commercial seed market and 90% of the seed market for soy.
• In India, the adoption of Bt cotton has been linked to a massive wave of farmer suicides, with over 250,000 farmers committing suicide between 1995 and 2010 due to spiralling debt from expensive GM seeds and chemical inputs.
• European resistance to GM crops has led to national bans on Monsanto's MON810 maize in France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, and Luxemburg, and a de facto ban in Bulgaria.
• In Latin America, Peru implemented a ten-year moratorium on GM cultivation and imports in November 2011 to protect public health, biodiversity, and domestic agriculture.
• The report claims that GM crops do not provide the promised benefits for climate change adaptation, stating there is no evidence they produce higher yields or 'miracle' traits for drought, flooding, or salt tolerance.
• The 'green economy' and 'climate-smart agriculture' (CSA) frameworks are criticized for promoting market-based instruments and carbon offsets that may facilitate corporate land-grabbing and the privatization of natural resources.
• In the United States, legal actions have been taken to stop the spread of GM crops into national wildlife refuges, where they are linked to the emergence of herbicide-resistant 'superweeds'.
• The report warns against geo-engineering technologies, such as solar radiation management and negative emissions technologies, which may involve biotechnology and risk disrupting complex ecosystems.

APA

Zacune, J. (2012). Combatting Monsanto. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Combatting-Monsanto.pdf

Chicago

Zacune, Joseph. Combatting Monsanto. Friends of the Earth International, 2012. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Combatting-Monsanto.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zacune |first1=Joseph |title=Combatting Monsanto |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=March 2012 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Combatting-Monsanto.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zacune2012combatting, author = {Zacune, Joseph}, title = {{Combatting Monsanto}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2012}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Combatting-Monsanto.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }