Jade Queen

Seeds of Growth for Monsanto

Vandana Shiva's comment on the Gates Foundation gift to Monsanto of $47 million, for "inventing" seeds adapted to climate change: "Seeds bred in labs are adapted to labs." Interest is great in open-pollinated seeds adapted to local conditions. What's more, organic farmers have begun to recover for damages caused by drift from neighbors' practices. The new movie, Food, Inc., gives another interesting take, in addition to the French movie, The World According to Monsanto. There will come a point where staggering influence in D.C. just won't be enough. BreakTheMatrix has an interesting action alert out on the subject. Indian farmers are organizing to share local seeds, and clover is being used in China as a cover crop. I am foreseeing sea changes in this industry. The crusade against rBGH by Physicians for Social Responsibility, leading to the sale of that business, is just the beginning. Strategy has moved away from Congress and toward food companies, bombarding these companies with post cards from individuals. In my experience, the companies are more responsive to individual consumers than most Congresspersons are.

Not a long-term bet is an understatement.