For my research project, I researched the history of Monsanto. I was curious about how Monsanto got their start and how they became such a huge, multibillion dollar corporation. I hoped to discover how Monsanto has remained such a popular company even though their products have proven to be harmful. Through my research, I learned that Monsanto started out as a small company owned by a man named Queeny. He named the company after his wife’s last name because he was working for another company, and her family was wealthier and had a better reputation associated with the name. Queeny started the company with only $500, selling artificial sweetener called saccharine. This was the company’s first synthetic product, and paved the road for many more to come.
After Queeny’s death, his son took over as head of the company. Queeny’s son, Edgar, began to open up more divisions to expand the abilities of the company. By the time Edgar stepped down in the 1960s, Monsanto had been expanded to include agriculture, movies/media, and more. Edgar had high hopes for these divisions, and even went to Africa to record documentaries that were produced by the company. Today, the most profitable divisions are the agricultural division and the chemical division.
Today, Monsanto is known for their GMOs, which are genetically modified organisms. These GMOs come in the forms of insect-resistant seeds, seeds that grow faster, need less water, and produce more nutrition in their plants. These seeds are all patented by Monsanto, and farmers are forced to buy into the virtual monopoly that is Monsanto’s industry. Not only are farmers suffering because they are forced to pay for Monsanto’s products, but the product may be harmful for consumers. In recent years, Monsanto’s GMOs have been shown to act as carcinogens in rats that were fed the crops. Studies on the danger for humans are still being implemented, but every court case against Monsanto has produced no result in relinquishing the hold that the company has on the agricultural world.
Even though Monsanto started out as a small, consumer-friendly company, they have morphed into a monstrous company with a monopoly over agriculture and dangerous effects on the organisms that come into contact with their products. Despite the negative media, Monsanto has remained a popular corporation in the world for the better part of the last century.
After Queeny’s death, his son took over as head of the company. Queeny’s son, Edgar, began to open up more divisions to expand the abilities of the company. By the time Edgar stepped down in the 1960s, Monsanto had been expanded to include agriculture, movies/media, and more. Edgar had high hopes for these divisions, and even went to Africa to record documentaries that were produced by the company. Today, the most profitable divisions are the agricultural division and the chemical division.
Today, Monsanto is known for their GMOs, which are genetically modified organisms. These GMOs come in the forms of insect-resistant seeds, seeds that grow faster, need less water, and produce more nutrition in their plants. These seeds are all patented by Monsanto, and farmers are forced to buy into the virtual monopoly that is Monsanto’s industry. Not only are farmers suffering because they are forced to pay for Monsanto’s products, but the product may be harmful for consumers. In recent years, Monsanto’s GMOs have been shown to act as carcinogens in rats that were fed the crops. Studies on the danger for humans are still being implemented, but every court case against Monsanto has produced no result in relinquishing the hold that the company has on the agricultural world.
Even though Monsanto started out as a small, consumer-friendly company, they have morphed into a monstrous company with a monopoly over agriculture and dangerous effects on the organisms that come into contact with their products. Despite the negative media, Monsanto has remained a popular corporation in the world for the better part of the last century.