I read yesterday that Monsanto controls 90% of the U.S. seed distribution

[auburngrad82]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/15/2007871/monsanto-global-food-diversity/

"After a big win in the Supreme Court on Monday, biotech firm Monsanto Company has more or less solidified its control of the American food supply. Monsanto’s patented genetically modified (GM) seeds comprise roughly 90 percent of the U.S. seed market, driving conventional seeds to near extinction. Now, the company has set its sights on the rest of the world."

If they control 90% of the U.S. seed distribution, why are they not looked at as a monopoly and why can they not be broken up like Standard Oil?

Seems to me that a little competition would be healthy for consumers.

Edited to correct errors: it was U.S. distribution, not world distribution.

[Avalux]

1. But who will do the breaking up?

Not our government, not any other entity. Monsanto holds all the marbles and too powerful to break up.

[NYC_SKP]

2. It's more than how big they are, it's about what they do and how.

Suicide seeds, terminator seeds, lawsuits, GMO, killing small independent farmers, killing the environment.

I don't think they have 90% of the world market, but they're getting there.

As of 2012, Monsanto's line of seed products includes agricultural seeds and vegetable seeds.

Many of Monsanto's agricultural seed products are genetically modified for resistance to herbicides, such as glyphosate. Monsanto sells glyphosate under the brand, "Roundup" – Monsanto calls these seeds "Roundup Ready". Monsanto's introduction of this system (planting glyphosate-resistant seed and then applying glyphosate once plants emerged) provided farmers with an opportunity to dramatically increase the yield from a given plot of land, since this allowed them to plant rows closer together.[69] Without it, farmers had to plant rows far enough apart to control post-emergent weeds with mechanical tillage.[69] Farmers have widely adopted the technology – for example over 90% of maize (Mon 832), soybean (MON-Ø4Ø32-6), cotton, sugar beet, and canola planted in the United States are glyphosate-resistant, as described in the GM crops article. Monsanto has also developed a Roundup Ready wheat (MON 71800). Due to toxicity of the herbicides involved seeds which would result in widespread increased spraying of 2,4-D and dicamba present issues of possible environmental damage and effects on public health not presented by glyphosate and are more closely regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.[70]

(from Wikipedia)

[auburngrad82]

4. You are correct

I edited my post based on the Think Progress article.

Something needs to be done about Monsanto. There's another article out there from this week where Vladimir Putin said that Monsanto will be the impetus behind the next world war. If they insist on working towards controlling the world's food supply, I think Mr. Putin may have spoken the truth.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I've got to make some time

to learn more about this corporation. When I was a kid, the only time I heard about Monsanto was in reference to the carpet fibers they made. There must be a story rife with corruption and cronyism behind this transformation.

[auburngrad82]

5. The scary thing is how well they have infiltrated our government

They have had high ranking officials in the government, at the FDA and EPA, for about 30 years now. And let's not forget that Supreme Court Justic Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto lawyer.

It's to the point where we are going to have a terrible time reining them in because they have such an influence. There's much truth in the statement that the government no longer works for us, that it works for corporations.

[orpupilofnature57]

7. That used to be called Fascism .

[orpupilofnature57]

6. Same reason the senate failed the other day

passing Labeling legislation, $$$$$ and their agents who we pay to imprison us . Fascism has seeped in to every aspect of our nation .

[Kali]

8. since the beginnings of agriculture

those who control the food, control all

gold? oil? money? HA! distractions

[onehandle]

9. See Microsoft. The government tried to break them up, so they gave money to Apple...

...and commitments to Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer for Mac, to insure Apple's survival.

Microsoft was able to say, 'See. We're not a monopoly.'

Apple went on to be the most profitable company in history, and the the tech market leader, but at least Microsoft kept themselves intact.

Monsanto will never go much beyond the 90% for the same reason.

[appleannie1]

10. I posted links to safe seeds in Environment and Energy section just a couple days ago

You can still buy seeds that have not been modified if you look for them.

[auburngrad82]

12. The problem isn't that there are no safe seeds available

The problem is that most commercially available food in the United States comes from Monsanto seeds. They have not hidden the fact that they want to control the world's food supply, much like Nestle wants to control the world's water supply.

Another problem is that without labeling we cannot tell what food comes from GMO seeds and what doesn't.

A third problem is that many Americans are either not aware of the risks of GMOs or they don't yet care.

Anyway, thanks for providing links to people so inclined to grow their own food.

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. I've never valued my own seed collection more! Got 4000 + types of tomatoes,

hundreds of peppers, dozens of eggplant. And I've probably got another 20 plus years of gardening to go!

[auburngrad82]

15. I've never been very successful at gardening

I wish I were because we'd have more control over what we eat. The best we can do is try to buy organic where available and to avoid products we know aren't good for us. I hope that eventually we'll see GMO labeling in this country. With Monsanto firmly embedded in our government it could take years.

[pipoman]

16. Fun hobby there..

love some of the heirloom tomatoes, and others I've found, there are very good reasons they are heirlooms..I'm a high acid lover. We buy upwards of 2,000 lbs of local outdoor tomatoes during tomato season for our restaurant and 2 nursing homes...everyone looks forward to tomato season..and melons..we have a great local supplier of cantaloupe, honeydew and sandia ..around 2k lbs of them too..

[pipoman]

13. I don't believe they "control 90% of the U.S. seed distribution"..

as in 90% of seed products come in Monsanto owned bags..Their hybrids are possibly permeated throughout 90% of the market in one form or another..they have competition in ADM, DuPont and maybe a couple others.

[auburngrad82]

14. I based that on the article

"Monsanto’s patented genetically modified (GM) seeds comprise roughly 90 percent of the U.S. seed market, driving conventional seeds to near extinction."

It does say "roughly" so there's a bit of wiggle room for numbers, but the fact remains that much of the commercially produced food that we eat comes from Monsanto seeds.

[pipoman]

17. Could be...I'm not involved in the industry..

I'm not as adverse to GM products as some. The genetic mods increase production, reduce the use of herbicides and insecticides, as long as nutritional value isn't lost, I don't see it as sinister and would rather ingest them than the chemicals they used previously to affect the same results. Of coarse it is driven by money, and I would prefer public funding of R&D...but alas, we are too busy paying for wars of various stripes..

[mathematic]

18. Monsanto seeds are still under patent, which is a form of limited monopoly granted by the government

Breaking them up for that seems contrary to the goals of the patent system. They license their seeds to other seed companies so even though a large portion of seeds use monsanto tech, they're actually grown, distributed, and sold by other companies.

The herbicide resistant soybean patent (roundup ready) expires next year. As is typical with patent based companies, they've developed a "new and improved" soybean to make up for the expiration of the first patent. The appearance of generic herbicide resistant soybeans on the market should be an interesting story to watch in the coming years.