Monsanto, behind the scenes

Virus resistant crops in the global South – Monsanto is working with different research institutions in the global South, along with universities in the U. S. and groups like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech (ISAAA) to develop virus resistant crops. [...] Board member of the International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and Trade, member of the executive committee of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, international advisory board member of the Scottish Enterprise, board member of The United Way of Greater St. [...] Monsanto is using approval of its GE seeds in countries in the global South to claim that ‘hungry’ nations are in favour of biotech and need the technology. [...] Other perceived weaknesses are the vulnerability of Bt cotton crops in South Africa to pests like the pink bollworm and jasids (or leafhoppers), and the susceptibility of the crops to American bollworm during the middle and end of season and times of stress (like low soil fertility or minimal rainfall) when levels of Bt toxins are low in the GE plants. [...] Safeage (South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering) is a campaign that demands a five-year freeze on the growing of GE crops in open fields until the technology is proven safe, environmentally harmless and in the public interests of the people of South Africa and neighbouring countries.