Return to the UKabc Home Page • Updated 14 September 1998

 

1. Press Releases - The Sequence of Events

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The press releases and news articles below show the speed and sequence of events which exposes the determination of Monsanto to control the whole food production process from seed to final product and penetrate new markets.

1. RAFI COMMUNQUE, March/April 1998 - The Terminator Technology :

New Genetic Technology Aims to Prevent Farmers from Saving Seed. Email rafiusa@rafi.org. WWW: http://www.rafi.ca/misc/terminator.html

2. Monsanto Press Release: Monsanto Acquires Two Seed Companies To Broaden Availability of Agricultural Biotechnology, DEKALB and Delta Pine and Land Company, 11 May 1998. WWW: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/current/980511-dekaklb-delta.html
3. Monsanto and Terminator Technology: It's Now or Never for Agricultural Biodiversity. WWW: http://www.rafi.ca/misc/terminator.html
4. Monsanto Press Release: Cargill and Monsanto Announce Global Feed and Processing Joint Venture, 15 May 1998 WWW: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/current/980514-cargill.html
5. American Home Products Corporation Press Release: re: Merger of Monsanto and American Home Products, 1 June 1998 WWW: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/current/980601-merger.html http://www.prnewswire.com/cnoc/exec/menu?044235
6. News Reuters: Statement by Hendrik Verfaillie Monsanto President: Monsanto Seeks World Policy on Gene Altered Food,: 22 June 1998 To see a copy, Click Here
7. Press Release from Monsanto and report from the Financial Times: Monsanto to form link with Grameen Bank, 25 June 1998
8. News Reuters: Monsanto to buy Cargill Foreign Seeds Units, Reuters: 30 June 1998 WWW: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/current/980629-cargill.html
9. Eastern Time Company Press Release Monsanto Agrees to Acquire Plant Breeding International Cambridge From Unilever, 15 July 1998 WWW: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/current/980715-pbi.html
10. RAFI News: Grameen Rejects Monsanto Arrangement, 5 August 1998 WWW: http://www.rafi.ca/pr/release18.html
11. MONSANTO:NEW SEED AND GENE PROTECTION METHODS: MONSANTO'S POSITION, August 1998 WWW: To see a copy, Cick Here

 

2. Monsanto's 'Let the Harvest Begin' Campaign

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1. Letter from Dr. Donald B. Easum of Global Business Access Ltd on behalf of Monsanto to sent to eminent Africans to ask them to sign the Statement Let the Harvest Begin, May 1998 (includes letter/'fact' sheet from Monsanto/ Let the Harvest Begin Statement). To see a copy, Click Here
2. Let Nature's Harvest CONTINUE ! - African Counter Statement to Monsanto signed by African Delegates to the UN Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Plant Genetic Resources and supported by European civil society groups To see a copy, Click Here AND http://www.oneworld.org/panos/news/biodoc5.htm
3. Text of Monsanto Advertisement: 'Worrying about Starving Future Generations Won't Feed Them. Food Biotechnology Will.' published in the UK press - the Independent, The Sunday Times and The Observer. (1/2 August , 9/10 August 1998). WWW: http://www.monsanto.co.uk/ads/ad6.html
4. Press Release: The Gaia Foundation 'African Scientists Condemn Monsanto Latest Tactics' 1/3 August 1998 To see a copy, Click Here
5. Press Release: Greenpeace International 'Developing world rejects Monsanto's claims to solve hunger', 1 August 1998 http://www.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/geneng/1998aug1.html
6. Press Release: Action Aid, 'International Charity Refutes Latest Advert from Monsanto', 2 August 1998
7. Open Letter From Salil Shetty, Chief Executive of Action Aid to Robert Shapiro, Chief Executive of Monsanto, published in The Observer Sunday 9th August 1998.
8. Response from Ethiopia, 5 August 1998

 

3. Grameen Bank - Monsanto Alliance Responses

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1. Response: Letter from Mark Griffiths to Dr. Yunus, dated 29 June 1998 http://www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/gmocarto.htm

Article by Dr. Michael Antoniou published in Farmers Weekly "Talking Point", page 94, 26 June 1998. Dr Michael Antoniou, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Pathology with 17 years experience of GM technology. Head of a research group at a leading London medical school developing genetic engineering technology for human clinical applications. To see a copy, Click Here

2. Asian views on Grameen Bank and Terminator Issues
1. Response: Open Letter from Vandana Shiva to Dr. Yunus, Managing Director, of Grameen Bank, 4 July 1998. http://www.indiaserver.com/betas/vshiva/
2. Letter from UBINIG, a Bangladeshi Farmers Association to The Gaia Foundation about Terminator Technology, 8 July 1998
3. RAFI Communique: GRAMEEN TURNS MEAN? WWW: http://www.rafi.ca/pr/release17.html
4. Extract of a report from from an ongoing study on the Hybrid maize cultivation in Tangail District by Grameen Krishi Foundation and BRAC 'Farmers in Tangail producing Hybrid maize under Grameen Krishi Foundation and BRAC'
5. Resolution - Farmers' Suicide and Farmers' Rights Passed by The Forum of Farmers Organisations on Globalisation and Agriculture in the National Workshop on Globalisation of Agriculture and the Survival of Small and Marginal Peasants, New Delhi on 30th May 1998.

 

4. Articles

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1. The Linkage between Patenting of Life Forms, Genetic Engineering and Food Insecurity by Prof. Wangari Maathai. This article was written immediately after Monsanto asked her to sign their statement Let the Harvest Begin. To see a copy, Click Here
2. A Seedy Business by Leora Broydo - an analysis of terminator technology and why the USDA invented it. Available from http://bsd.mojones.com/news_wire/broydo.html
3. 'New Technology and Modernizing World Agriculture' by Dr. Harry B. Collins, Vice-President of Delta and Pine Land Company (the company with the patent on the terminator technology). A defence/justification of the technology. To see a copy, Click Here
4. What is Monsanto Up to Now? Good Question! by Brewster Kneen, 5 July 1998. An analysis of Monsanto/Cargill alliance. To see a copy, Click Here
5. Monocultures, monopolies, myths and the masculinisation of agriculture by Vandana Shiva To see a copy, Click Here
6. Seed Terminator and Mega-Merger Threaten Food and Freedom, Geri Guidetti, 1998. WWW: http://www.arkinstitute.com/98/up0606.htm
7. Feeding a World of 10 Billion People: The Miracle Ahead by Norman E. Borlaug, President, Saskawa Africa Association - architect of the Green Revolution. WWW: http://agriculture.tusk.edu/biotech/monfort2.html
8. New Threat to Africa, West Africa, Current Affairs published June 1998. The patenting of life forms will have a negative impact on the continent, economically, and environmentally, warms Kenyan environmentalist...Wangari Maathai. by Desmond Davies
9. How the Terminator Terminates :An explanation for the non-scientist of a remarkable patent for killing second generation seeds of crop plants, by Martha L Crouch. Email: crouch@indiana.edu
10. Cornerhouse Briefing: 'Let the Profits Begin' Genetic Engineering and World Hunger, To be published September. Email: cornerhouse@gn.apc.org
11. 'Terminator Technology' - One Step Too Far? http://www.oneworld.org/panos/news/2jun98.htm
12. AGRICULTURE-INDIA: Biotech Firms Sow Seeds of Discord http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/jul98/07_41_005.html
13. DEVELOPMENT: Grameen, Monsanto Sowing Seeds of Ruin? http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/jul98/04_01_002.html>To link to a copy, Click Here
14. BIOTECHNOLOGY'S TAKEOVER OF THE SEED INDUSTRY IPR Info No. 23 Revised, July 13, 1998 To link to IATP TRIPs99 WebSite for a copy, Click Here
15. In Europe, Consumers Think TwiceA Look at the Uproar Over Genetically Engineered Food To link to IATP TRIPs99 WebSite for a copy, Click Here
16. Sign on The Dotted Line Grower agreements are becoming a part of doing business if you want to use biotech seed To see a copy, Click Here

 

5. Press Cuttings and Miscellaneous

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There have been a number of articles in the UK press looking at and analysing the Monsanto Advertising Campaign. Some are in the list of News Reports to be found on: http://www.natural-law.ca/genetic/GENewsIndex.html

1. The African Gene by George Monbiot, published in The Guardian, 4 June 1998
2. Letter from Ann Foster, Monsanto, UK to The Guardian, 7 June 1998 'Monsanto: we aim to plant the seeds of real GM debate'
3. Letter from Wangari Maathai of the Green Belt Movement to The Guardian, 9 June 1998 'Terminator's fatal touch'
4. Gene Prince by George Monbiot, The Guardian, 9 June 1998
5. Hearts and Minds grow seeds of doubt, The Times, 1 July 1998
6. You say tomato, we say genetically altered food product that's 'good' for the planet. An American biotech company is spending £ 1 million wooing a wary British public. But why does its ad campaign also advertise the opposition? Stephen Armstrong on a new controversial trend in 'trust us' advertising, The Guardian, 6 July 1998
7. Monsanto signs up Third World Leaders for adverts, The Times, 13 July 1998
8. Silent Spring 2020, Genetically Engineered plants could environmental havoc, Nick Nuttal reports, 13, July 1998
9. The Monsanto Adverts WWW: http://www.monsanto.co.uk/index.html
10. Prince Charles Speaks Out against Genetic Engineering! - a comprehensive collection articles in the UK press in response to Prince Charles's public statement against GE, called the Seeds of Disaster , The Times 8 June 1998
11. 'Monsanto says terminator gene does not exist' Business Standard, New Delhi, 4 August 1998 and 'Farmers will launch a campaign to weed out US seed firm' The Asian Age 4 August 1998
12. Miscellaneous cuttings including new research released August 1998 showing GMOs can lower immune system, retard growth, produce superweeds, effects bees.