3,561,596 members
12,429,752 petition signatures
$19,571,785,510 diverted from Big Pharma
Monsanto Cash Helped Fund Bill to Stifle Whistleblowers In Iowa
As if Monsanto isn’t a big enough giant, they constantly throw money to influence serious legislation! Oh, but this isn’t an act of pretentious altruism for farmers. They have a vulnerable hide to cover if they don’t get their way in seeing that Iowa’s anti-whistleblower farm bill passes into law. Similar to other bills in legislation like the Florida farm photos bill, it’s to keep public scrutiny out by threatening the probing “criminal” with lengthy prison time.
So far, the focus has been on animal cruelty and keeping animal activists from recording questionable behavior in Big Ag operations. But these proposed laws keep all prying eyes out, including anyone who might discover Monsanto’s hand in “crop operations,” their seed houses, research areas, and pesticide manufacturing.
What makes this a real Judas-kiss is that Monsanto pretends to act on the behalf of farmers. Monsanto will make sure you don’t go snooping around, but they will continue to trespass on farms to sample plants so they can sue that farmer for patent infringement if they find GM seed. And yes, there will be provisions in Iowa’s bill to allow Monsanto to trespass and carry out their witch hunt. Don’t you dare try to uncover animal cruelty and “seedy” operations, but Monsanto can continue to pose as undercover land mappers and local fellow AA members to trap unsuspecting farmers.
Got pitchforks?
~Health Freedoms
Speaking of Monsanto, it turns out they are playing a role in Iowa’s proposed anti-whistleblower bill – a bill focused primarily on agriculture. Should the bill pass, it will become illegal to produce undercover videos at various types of agricultural facilities (as well as to get a job at a facility with the express intent of producing a video). Sarah Damian of the Government Accountability Project, a “whistleblower advocacy organization,” observes over at the Food Integrity Campaign’s blog that Monsanto has been throwing lobbying dollars behind Iowa’s effort to draw a steel curtain around food production. And not without reason:
… Monsanto has more facilities in Iowa than in any other state in the country, with more than 25 offices. The company is heavily invested in the bill’s outcome because “crop operations” are also covered, which would apply to Monsanto’s seed houses, pesticide manufacturing plants and research facilities throughout Iowa. The biotech and crop chemical giant wouldn’t want any undercover videos produced on its clock, apparently.
That’s a bit ironic, however, given the fact that Monsanto investigators are notorious for trespassing on farmers’ property and going to extreme measures to produce evidence of seed patent infringement, including posing as land mappers or even joining a local Alcohol Anonymous group to gain the farmers’ trust and gain video access to their fields. Talk about undercover.
And don’t think that Monsanto hasn’t planned ahead. According to Damian, there are provisions in the bill that would allow Monsanto to continue snooping around farmers’ fields in its ongoing search for so-called “seed thieves” aka “patent infringers.”
Despite occasional setbacks and even uncertainty in the marketplace, let it not be said that Monsanto has lost its taste for playing the heavy.
BY TOM LASKAWY
Sources:
http://www.grist.org/industrial-agriculture/2011-04-06-monsanto-cash-helped-fund-bill-to-stifle-whistleblowers-in-iowa
http://www.grist.org/factory-farms/2011-03-14-another-week-another-attempt-to-stop-animal-abuse-whistleblowers
http://foodwhistleblower.org/blog/170-monsanto-lobbies-for-iowa-bill-targeting-ag-whistleblowers
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/Pages/iowa.aspx
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/save-our-seeds/corporate-control-and-seed-monopolies/
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/04/05/farm-boom-benefit-monsanto-sales-new-seed-uncertain/#ixzz1IgjfrJ00
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- Monsanto Tries to Criminalize Saving Seeds, Drags Farmer into Court As if its costly genetic tampering with the whole...
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I have to comment that Monsanto has really gone out of control. This is exactly what happens when big money comes into the picture. Can they be stopped or is it too late. I buy only organic. That is the only way I know how to keep Monsanto, as much as possible out of my home.
The Bill Gates – Gates Foundation – Monsanto connection is well documented, and the research that leads to that connection will explain a lot of the assault against farmers and whistle blowers (not to mention assaults and lies regarding anti-vaccine advocates), as well as the never ending sources of funds available to launch the attacks.
Just wondering what effect pitchforks would be; when they have the ‘guns.’
Al Capone is ‘nothing’ compared to what this corporation has in mind for the WORLD. Please Dear People Awaken Your Senses; You Must Realise By Now What This Corrupt Giant Is Doing, Right Under Your Very Noses.
As long as Monsanto owns Congress and the Senate (and a good number of them have investments in Monsanto stock), they can pretty get away with anything and they have done so for at least the last five decades. Since Monsanto has a patent on seeds and wants to control the world’s food supply, the rest of us should have a patent on the sun, the air, the rain and the soil.
[...] Minnesota, and other states are considering legislative action as well. Giant corporations like Monsanto are throwing money behind the Iowa version and possibly more in order further secure their “crop [...]
Guess who owns a big chunk of Monsanto stock? From what I understand George Soros, the left’s main money man, is a large stockholder. Just as Soros is a large stock holder of the Brazillian oil drilling company that benefits from the $$$ the US just sent them for development, but I digress.
You fail to mention that Dupont also was in favor and the soybean and corn growers associations – the corn and soy growers farmers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So your argument is false and wrong. You just have a knee jerk reaction like a 5 year old.
corn and soybean farmers association and Dupont were also in favor – so you argument is kind of nonsense
Tony,
Of course Dupont is in favor…
If you don’t mind eating FREAK CORN
that is known to be very BAD for you…
GMO CORN and SOYBEANS are terrible
for you. But Dupont owns the patent
or Monsanto, therefore no one BUT
them can grow corn and soy. If a
farmer wants to plant corn or soy,
they must use Monsanto or Dupont’s
Genetically Modified Version, or
suffer the consequences.
Stay Tuned….