Monsanto, with poison and genes

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Movie
German title Monsanto, with poison and genes
Original title Le monde selon Monsanto
Country of production France , Canada , Germany
original language English , French , Spanish
Publishing year 2008
length 107 minutes
Age rating FSK 12 / DVD without age restriction
Rod
Director Marie-Monique Robin
script Marie-Monique Robin (concept)
production Image et Compagnie:
Amélie Juan
Christilla Huillard-Kann
Arte France:
Thierry Garrel
Pierrette Ominetti
Productions Thalie:
Yves Fortin
Office national du film du Canada:
Christian Medawar
West German Broadcasting:
Jutta Krug
music Olivier Auriol
camera Guillaume Martin
Arnaud Mansir
Bernard Cazedepats
Frédéric Vassort
cut Françoise Boulègue

Monsanto, with poison and genes (Original title: Le monde selon Monsanto ) is a documentary from 2008 by Marie-Monique Robin . The film sheds light on the products and business practices of the Monsanto group.

Movie content

A necessary investigation

The company, founded in St. Louis in 1901 , was originally one of the largest chemical companies of the 20th century, and products for the agricultural sector were only added later. Today the company is the global market leader in the field of biotechnology , from which around 90 percent of the genetically modified organisms (abbreviated: GMOs) grown on earth come from, for which Monsanto has a patent (including soy , rapeseed , corn and cotton ). Most products (such as Roundup Ready Soy ) have been genetically engineered to be resistant to the use of their own weed killer Roundup , which is the company's flagship product and has been the world's best-selling weed killer for 30 years. Monsanto is one of the most controversial companies of the modern industrial age due to its business practices and products like Agent Orange , aspartame , bovine growth hormone and PCB .

PCB: The crime in a tie and collar

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were the company's figurehead for almost 50 years until they were banned in the early 1980s. They were marketed by Monsanto in the USA under the brand name Aroclor , in France under Pyralene and in Germany under Clophen .

In Anniston , PCB contamination of the area by the Monsanto plant was concealed for decades. Monsanto was informed about the health effects of PCBs early on. Documents show that Monsanto knew about the toxicity of PCBs as early as 1937 based on internal investigations . In 1961, after an accident at a factory that used PCBs, it was found that workers there were showing symptoms of hepatitis . When scientists released fish in the Snow Creek Canal in 1966 , they were dead within three and a half minutes. An internal letter from Monsanto to its sales managers in 1970 made it clear that the lucrative business was not to be considered due to the known health hazards want to spoil and hold on to it.

David O. Carpenter of the University at Albany explains that PCBs were initially only released at a few Monsanto sites, so the contamination was initially only a local problem. However, over the decades PCB has become a global problem. Due to its solubility in fat , PCB is already absorbed by the body through skin contact, and it also accumulates in fatty tissue, which means that the concentration continues to increase at the end of the food chain (where humans are located). PCBs have been found in mammals and fish even in the most remote parts of the Arctic .

In 2001, Monsanto was sued by 20,000 Anniston residents and was subsequently sentenced to pay $ 700 million in damages to the victims and to decontaminate the site of PCBs.

Roundup: A comprehensive poisoning campaign

In 1974 Monsanto launched Roundup , a total herbicide (non-selective herbicide), the main ingredient of which is the plant toxin glyphosate . Monsanto aggressively advertised the product as "biodegradable" and "environmentally and soil-friendly", but this turned out to be a false statement. Monsanto was then convicted twice for misleading advertising: 1996 in the US and 2007 in France. The “deceptive advertising messages” according to the judgment of the judge then had to be removed from the packaging.

Scientific studies meanwhile rate Roundup as harmful to health. Robert Bellé from the French national research institute for scientific research, CNRS , was able to prove, for example, that Roundup causes functional disorders in cell division even at very low doses , which in the long term can also cause cancer . When the scientist wanted to inform the public about the harmfulness of Roundup, he was urged by his superiors to refrain from doing so in order not to discredit GMOs in the population.

GMO: Customized regulations

Roundup Ready soy was the first genetically modified crop to be approved in the USA in 1996 . It contains a gene that comes from a bacterium (scientists also express concern about the violation of the species barrier in this context ) that makes the plant resistant to the Monsanto product Roundup. The total herbicide is now not applied selectively, but sprayed over a large area over the entire field and kills everything there, with the exception of the resistant Roundup Ready soy .

The US soy producers - which are grouped together in the American Soybean Association (ASA), which is largely controlled by Monsanto - have almost completely switched to Roundup Ready soy .

The regulation “Foods derived from new plants” published by the responsible US agency FDA on May 29, 1992 puts genetically modified organisms on the same level as those created by natural crossbreeding and for this reason does not require any control or inspection of the organisms. In the interview, those responsible admit that this decision was not based on scientific tests and findings, but was a political decision backed by economic interests.

Only the principle of substantial equivalence was used and it was assumed that genetically modified plants would not differ from natural plants. The principle was adopted practically worldwide based on the USA. This principle of substantial equivalence is now the reason that GMOs are "generally recognized as safe" ( Generally Recognized As Safe , abbreviated GRAS). In contrast to any food additive, companies do not have to prove that the genetically modified organism does not cause any side effects or is harmful to health.

The Bovine Growth Hormone Affair

Since 1994, Monsanto is recombinant bovine growth hormone ( recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone , shortly rBGH) under the brand name Posilac marketed. The transgenic hormone is injected into cows to increase their milk production.

In 1985 Monsanto submitted the first documents to the FDA to obtain approval for Posilac . When Richard Burroughs, a veterinarian at the FDA at the time, classified the documents as unsatisfactory and requested further examinations, the case was gradually withdrawn and he was finally released by the FDA. Burroughs obtained in court that the authorities had to reinstate him. In an interview, he stated that officials of the agency had also removed and manipulated data for Monsanto.

Research showed that dairy cows treated with Posilac were more likely to develop mastitis , which also caused pus to get into the milk and the cows had to be given regular antibiotics . The cows also suffered from enlarged ovaries and reproductive problems. Your milk has a significantly higher content of the insulin-like epidermal growth factor EGF1. Scientific studies have linked increased EGF1 levels to breast cancer , colon cancer and prostate cancer .

In neighboring Canada , three Health Canada health officials (Margaret Haydon, Shiv Chopra, and Gerard Lambert) exposed Monsanto's practices, testifying to millions of dollars in bribery attempts by the company and pressure from government officials to fast-track Monsanto products without adequate testing.

The scientists on the curb

In Great Britain , biochemist Árpád Pusztai of the Rowett Research Institute and 30 researchers carried out a two-year study on genetically modified potatoes on behalf of the Department of Agriculture in preparation for the nationwide introduction of GMOs. Contrary to the expectations of the ministry, the study published in 1998 expressly stated that GMOs were not harmless.

The potato, modified with the gene from a snowdrop , produced a lectin that made the plant resistant to aphids . It was shown that the lectin, which in its natural state proved to be completely harmless and not harmful to health, caused growths in the intestine after the genetic manipulation and, surprisingly, also stimulated the immune system , which assessed the genetically modified potatoes not as useful food for the body, but as assessed alien pests and prepared the body to defend itself against these substances. On August 10, 1998, Pusztai gave (with the consent of his management) an interview with the BBC in which he presented his results. The next day, Pusztai was released and his research team disbanded.

Ten years after its market launch in the United States, 90 percent of all soy crops grown are Roundup Ready soy products , and 70 percent of all food contains genetically modified products. Labeling whether food contains GMOs is not only not provided in the USA, it is even prohibited by law.

Dioxin: falsification of studies on dangerousness

In 1994, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially determined that Monsanto had falsified and manipulated scientific studies into the carcinogenic effects of dioxin .

In 1949, there was an explosion at the Monsanto factory in Nitro , where weed killer 2,4,5-T was made. 228 employees then fell ill with chloracne , caused by dioxin, which is contained in the herbicide. 2,4,5-T was the main component of the defoliant Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War . In the 1960s, the US Army sprayed around 40 million liters of Agent Orange in Vietnam, which corresponds to around 400 kg of pure dioxin. In addition to 3 million local residents poisoned by dioxin, thousands of US soldiers were also among the victims. Monsanto shirked its responsibility and manipulated studies, which then came to the conclusion that dioxin was not carcinogenic. As a result, US authorities refused to pay compensation to sick war veterans. There was no independent review of the Monsanto-funded studies.

Patents on life

Farmers who want to buy genetically modified seeds cannot do so anonymously and unbureaucratically like with normal seeds, but have to sign a “technology license agreement” with the manufacturer. Monsanto has patented its seeds and, on the basis of the patents, prohibits farmers from reusing the seeds that have been harvested later from seeds that have already been paid for. Instead, they have to buy Monsanto's “single-use seeds” every year. With around one thousand farmers who, according to Monsanto, are said to have used part of their harvest for new crops, Monsanto also initiated legal proceedings that in some cases led to the bankruptcy of the farmers. Farmers also complain about the Group's methods of employing detectives and a private “gene police” who would illegally break into private property and encourage bystanders to denounce their neighbors.

Between 1995 and 2005, Monsanto acquired around 50 seed companies around the world and continues to control the global market for seeds.

India: The Suicide Seed

In India , Monsanto bought the country's largest seed company in 1999. In 2001, the group received approval to sell Bt cotton under the brand name Bollgard in India. The cotton plants have been genetically engineered to use an insecticide to kill the cotton bollworm. It turned out that the genetically modified cotton was surprisingly susceptible to a fungal disease, which had previously not posed a problem with conventional crops. Monsanto's claim that Bt cotton does not need any additional pesticides and is also suitable for small farmers, one scientist described as a lie. Monsanto managed to control practically the entire market in the country for cotton seeds in a short time, so that even farmers who actually did not want to buy genetically modified seeds had no alternative, since no other seeds were available on the market.

Monsanto's transgenic seeds are around four to six times more expensive for farmers than the ones they have used up to now. Many farmers are therefore forced to take out a loan to buy seeds for the first time in their lives. This also increases the farmers' risk, in contrast to the previously manageable amount of money: If the harvest turns out badly or if there is a total failure in one season, the current loans can no longer be serviced, which means the end of their independent existence and the farmer Bankruptcy means. All of this led to a dramatic increase in suicides in India. The Indian government counted more than 100,000 peasant suicides.

The second green revolution

The Indian physicist Vandana Shiva drew attention to these shortcomings with her book Seeds of Suicide . She described the GMOs protected by patents in India as the “second green revolution”, which she sharply criticized. As soon as corporations can make seeds their property and collect royalties for them, they effectively control the food as well. The first revolution was in the 1960s when industrial agriculture was introduced in India to sell more chemicals to farmers.

Mexico: The Abuse of Biodiversity

In Mexico , Ignacio Chapela from the University of California (Berkeley) discovered that DNA from genetically modified plants had migrated into wild maize populations, resulting in transgenic contamination of the plants, which Monsanto had previously described as impossible. Chapela's research was published in the journal Nature . Already in the run-up to the publication there was a previously unprecedented witch hunt against the scientist. For example, letters were sent to the editors of the magazine and e-mails to thousands of scientific colleagues around the world in which Chapela was slandered in order to damage his reputation and thus to present his research results, which were unpleasant for Monsanto, as dubious. The senders of the e-mails posed as supposed scientists by the names of Andura Smetacek and Mary Murphy. An analysis of Smetacek's IP address revealed that the Monsanto group was behind the campaign, and Murphy could be traced back to the PR agency The Bivings Group , which worked on behalf of Monsanto. The example serves as evidence that Monsanto would not shy away from defaming critics by all means and launching anonymous dirt campaigns on the Internet.

Paraguay: The "United Soy Republic"

In Paraguay , 2 percent of the population owns 70 percent of the agricultural land, and three quarters of the soy producers come from abroad. The yields do not stay in the country, but are exported, preferably to Europe, to be fed to fattening animals for meat production. The areas under cultivation with transgenic Roundup Ready soy are pure monocultures which, due to the total herbicide used, destroy all other plant life. This is no longer compatible with the traditional way of growing smallholders in Paraguay and is driving so many into the slums of the cities. The large soy producers mostly use Roundup in an uncontrolled manner and over a large area, sometimes it is sprayed by airplanes. A small farmer mourns the death of 60 animals that were poisoned by the Roundup operation.

Transgenic seeds were not originally approved in Paraguay, but very large quantities were illegally brought into the country. Since the illegal seeds were not labeled, but many countries made it mandatory to label transgenic soy for import, the illegally imported seeds forced the government to officially approve transgenic seeds. As Monsanto was the main beneficiary of the transgenic seeds brought into the country, it was suspected that Monsanto was the mastermind behind the action or that it was initiated through middlemen to eventually force the government to approve their product.

epilogue

All requests from the director for interviews and requests for comments on the film were rejected by Monsanto.

background

  • The film was first broadcast on March 11, 2008 on Arte . The DVD of the film, released on July 25, 2008, does not contain any regional codes and contains the German, English and French audio versions.
  • In the German version, the narrator is spoken by Susanne von Medvey .

Reviews

Documentation about the machinations of the US company Monsanto, which dominates the world market in genetic research in the agricultural crops sector. Scandalous amalgamations between the company and important politicians have given the group a kind of world monopoly. In addition to interviews with (formerly) responsible persons and critics, voiceover is often used to explain complex relationships. Rather modest in its cinematic narrative means, the film is convincing due to the explosiveness of the facts presented. "

- Lexicon of international film

“Marie-Monique Robin traces the rise of the world's leading genetic engineering company and reveals its machinations. The award-winning French director researched it for three years. [...] The numerous legal proceedings of the multicompany, which concern health claims for damages as well as the enforcement of patent claims in the field of biotechnology, are specifically examined. With the help of independent scientists and some unpublished documents, Robin illustrates the methods Monsanto uses to assert its interests. "

- Boris Schlepper - Frankfurter Rundschau

“The impressively direct film starts with a product that Monsanto launched in 1974, the weed killer 'Roundup'. […] The French journalist Marie-Monique Robin is responsible for 'With Poison and Genes'. She herself reported for a long time from South America and made a name for herself with her revelations about the connections between French secret services and South American death squads and about the Algerian war . Because of the difficult subject matter, the director has structured her film didactically: She Googles the Monsanto products and their critics and then travels to those responsible, scientists and those affected. "

- Helmut Höge - The daily newspaper

Awards

literature

  • Marie-Monique Robin: With poison and genes: How the biotech company Monsanto is changing our world . German translation: Dagmar Mallett. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 2009, ISBN 978-3-421-04392-4 , 464 pages; Goldmann Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-442-15622-1 , paperback 512 pp.
  • Vandana Shiva: Seeds of Suicide: The Ecological and Human Costs of the Globalization of Agriculture . Zed Books, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84277-126-6 , 256 pages; Paperback: Zed Books, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84277-127-3 , 256 pp.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Guidance to Industry for Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accessed February 8, 2015 .
  2. ↑ heise.de whois 199.89.234.124
  3. ↑ Boris Schlepper: Global gangsterism. In: Frankfurter Rundschau . March 11, 2008, accessed October 7, 2013 .
  4. ↑ Helmut Höge: With poison and genes. In: The daily newspaper . March 11, 2008, accessed October 7, 2013 .