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Kanyon King
Professor Packer
English 1010
15 November 2015
Monsanto and the World
For some time now, Monsanto has been viewed as a corrupt, malicious company bullying
their way in to the agricultural industry. And, while it may be true the company has had a rather
tough way of going about things, they have also brought technological advances to the one place
we may need it most, and I argue they are doing much more good than harm for our world.
Although the company has been around since 1901, Monsanto only just recently stepped
into the agricultural industry. According to their website, it wasnt until the 2000s when
Monsanto took on a new name, and the new Monsanto became a full blown agricultural
company. Within just two years Monsanto placed orders for E85 trucks, a truck that runs on 85%
ethanol made from corn and produced two new modified seeds for soy and corn, improving
ethanol yields and protein and oil yields. Monsanto quickly stepped in and improved yields all
around, and even adapted the original Roundup Ready seeds to fight other pests. Not only did
they make life a whole lot easier for farmers, they were making them more money too. (Who We
Are)
These things matter, with the population growing at the rate it has been, it will mean a
higher demand for foods and resources, and it was more than necessary to bring technological
advances to our agricultural industry. According to population growth statistics, by 2050 our

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population will have grown to a staggering 9 billion people (World Population Growth),
requiring almost double the food to be produced to feed the world (Monsanto). This means
furthering our advances in food production even more so than weve already accomplished. And
Monsanto is heading the way in this department, producing new seeds and working to improve
upon already improved crops every year.
Today, no single issue will impact the world and the success of our farmer customers,
our partners and our company more than sustainability, which includes our ability to adapt to and
mitigate the impacts of climate change (Holly/CEO Grant). So it seems as though the only ones
fighting for Monsanto is Monsanto themselves. While Monsanto is leading advancements to help
farmers deal with climate change, article after article are being published negatively portraying
the company. The truth is, with the array of seeds Monsanto has produced, farmers lives have
gotten a whole lot easier (Why are Farmers Planting GM crops?). Not only can they dust an
entire crop in herbicides and pesticides without worrying about killing the whole crop, the
farmers can actually grow more in places they couldnt grow before, and the efficiency equals
more money made all around and much more food and resources produced.
I will not argue. Monsanto has taken a very aggressive approach to the whole ordeal, and
a lot of people have not been happy with them. Change is a scary thing. Cars replaced horse and
carriage, machinery replaced hours of human labor. With some things it is a lot easier to see the
good rather than the bad. No matter what it is, change will leave someone pouting, whether it be
suppliers of horse feed, or shops that made carriage parts, someone is always bound to get the
short end of the stick. With Monsanto a lot of farmers were forced to switch to Monsanto as a
supplier, and by using their seeds, forced to abide by their rules. A company like any other,

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enforces rules because the rules are set in place to make sure they make the most money they
can, and so they dont get blindsided by competition.
The big argument seems to be the use of GMOs, in fact, its a lot of the reason Monsanto
is on the receiving end of so much hatred. GMOs are highly controversial, but there are
legitimate arguments on both sides of the debate (Dr. Oz). No one knows if GMOs are

harmful, but everyone seems to be arguing against them. If this is a main reason for hatred
towards Monsanto, and the other is just because they are a big corporation, what seems to be left
is a company producing a product that helps farmers grow bigger and better crops, leaving us
with cheaper food to stuff our faces. According to the Dr. Oz website, overwhelming amounts of
studies actually prove GMOs to be safe, and genetically modifying food sources can allow for a
greater nutritional value.
Its easy to say Monsanto is a money hungry giant thats hell bent on ruling our food
supply, but it may be just as easy to say that Monsanto has been a big factor in feeding our
rapidly growing population and decreasing prices allowing for fewer people to be left hungry.
Wherever you stand the facts remain the same, peoples feeling got hurt, but the company has
improved production of crops and farmers immensely, they are still working to improve
productions, and GMOs seem to be perfectly fine.

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Works Cited
"Genetically Modified Foods: Get the Facts." Genetically Modified Foods: Get the Facts. N.p., n.d.
Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Holly, Robert. "GMOs, Monsanto and the Fight against Climate Change."Investigate Midwest. N.p.,
09 July 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
"Who We Are." Company History. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"Why Are Farmers Planting GM Crops?" Why Are Farmers Planting GM Crops? N.p., n.d. Web. 19
Nov. 2015.
"World Population Growth." Our World in Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.