Monsanto: Treatment of the Natural Environment - Case Study Example

?Monsan Treatment of the Natural Environment Environmental conservation has taken centre stage in many companies’ operations. The environment is composed of both living organisms and non-living things. It is the obligation of all of human kind to ensure that every aspect of the environment is well maintained for the benefit of all. Countries all over the world have formulated policies and regulations that are meant to conserve what is left of the natural environment. Companies, especially those involved in manufacturing, are expected to follow these guidelines that have been laid down by their national and international laws (Pennell, Choi and Molinaro, 2009). Any activity within the industries that might be seen to be against environmental law may result in lawsuits against the company in question. Whereas there are some companies which have consistently shown that they value the environment, there are others which have elicited heated criticisms due to the perception that they manufacture products that are not meant to be used by the public. Monsanto is a good example of a leading company that has been criticized for being insensitive to environmental needs as shown by the types of products it manufactures for public use (Robin, 2010). Company Background Monsanto is one of the biggest agriculture/biotechnology-based companies in the United States. It stands as the world’s largest producer of herbicide glyphosphate which it markets as RoundUp. It is also the largest producer and marketer of genetically engineered seed; actually, 90% of all the GE seeds used in the United States come from Monsanto. The company which is headquartered in Creve Coeur in Missouri was formed in 1991 by John Francis Queeny. The company’s first product was saccharin, a natural sweetener. Monsanto started exploring the production of basic industrial chemicals in the 1920s (Monsanto.com). During the Second World War, the company was among those that contributed to research on nuclear energy that led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Monsanto had been operating a nuclear facility on behalf of the US government up until the late 80s. In mid 20th century, Monsanto got engaged in the production of synthetic fibres and plastics. The company was once ranked among the top in terms of production of chemicals that generated the most hazardous waste (Robin, 2010). Monsanto is one of the top chemical producing companies in the US. It has at the forefront championing for the use of chemical pesticides in farms. One of its chemical products, Agent Orange, was used by the U.S. forces in Vietnam as a defoliant. This chemical was later disclosed to contain higher and many times more toxic levels of carcinogens and dioxin than those used by Dow chemicals to produce the same Agent Orange. The managers at Monsanto knew of the effects that these chemicals would have on the people they were exposed to, but they went ahead and sold them to the government to be used as a weapon against humans. According to Robin (2010), a total of 3 million people who came into contact with Monsanto’s Agent Orange were affected somehow, with 500,000 Vietnamese children being born with deformities. Although Monsanto has grown over the years, it has had to grapple with the problem of never ending lawsuits, most of which are related to the environmental effects its products have. Individual farmers, environmental activists and even governments have been involved in lawsuits against the company at different times. All these legal issues have centred around the effects that the company’s products may have had on people, animals, plants and the rest of the environment (Pringle, 2005).      Positive Aspects of the Company Monsanto has a social performance record. It is one of the corporate sponsors of the world-famed attractions at Walt Disney world and Disneyland. At Disneyland, the company sponsored the hall of chemistry until 1967. It was also the sponsor of Fashions and fabrics at the same venue from 1965 to 1966, Adventure Thru inner Space from 1967 to 1985. In Walt Disney World, Monsanto was the chief sponsor of the Cycle Vision 360 and the Magic eye theatre at Epcot. The company has also been cited as a significant sponsor of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. In addition Monsanto also shares some of world class technology with other companies, notably, Syngenta Ag based in Switzerland and Grains Research and Development Corporation which is based in Australia (Monsanto.com). Many of the company’s products have actually helped farmers achieve high productivity. Through its well advanced research capabilities, the company is able to develop some high quality agricultural products such as pesticides, fertilizers and seed varieties that have been beneficial to farmers in America and all over the world as well. For instance, in 2011, the government of the United States approved a Monsanto-produced variety of genetically modified corn that could withstand the effects of drought better than most of the traditional varieties (Huff, 2011). Negative Aspects Monsanto has received a lot of criticisms from environmental and human rights personalities over some of the products it manufactures. One of its earliest and most controversial products was the Agent Orange which contained highly toxic levels of carcinogens and dioxin. Critics argue that the company knew of the toxicity of the product but they went ahead to recommend it as a good defoliant which the government of the U.S used against the Vietnamese. What followed was a huge health and environmental disaster. Plants were destroyed, as were the lives of people who got into direct contact with the chemicals. Water was also contaminated with the chemical and many people developed illnesses when they drunk it (Robin, 2010). Earlier, the company had taken part in the development of the atomic bomb which caused havoc in the Nagasaki and Hiroshima islands of Japan. The atomic bomb permeated every aspect of life in these two islands killing almost all living creatures instantly. The company has also ran into legal trouble over its production of DDT, a chemical that was used to kill mosquitoes. DDT was found to have devastating effects on the environment and so its use was discontinued in the US in 1972 (Pringle, 2005). The controversy nature of the products produced by the company did not end with Agent Orange. As recent as May 2011, a case had been filed against Monsanto, which was accused by a group of senior animal and plant specialists for producing glyphosphate that is causing a mysterious disease in crops. Glyphosphate is the primary ingredient in the famous RoundUp herbicide which the company has time and again encouraged famers to buy as their preferred herbicide. The mysterious disease is said to have AIDS-like characteristics on the infected plants. This means that crops that have been spayed with RoundUp herbicide are likely to develop an anti-immunity syndrome which usually blocks absorption of minerals and vitamins (Huff, 2011). GMO Controversy Since the 1970s Monsanto has been at the forefront agitating and championing the credibility of Genetically Modified organisms (GMOs). The company was one of the first ones to create genetically modified foods (Cummings, 2009). Most of the seeds that are genetically modified at Monsanto have been made resistant to RoundUp herbicide, which also happens to be one of the company’s controversial products. The GM seeds produced by the company are on high demand since they are resistant to RoundUp, thus ensuring that the company maintains its profit levels. The plants that are grown using these seeds, however, have the ability to interbreed with non GM plants, thus causing a potential biotechnology alteration of many plants as we know them. This genetic modification in pants, including weeds, can make them resistant to pesticides and herbicides and this may ultimately pose a threat to the environment (Pringle, 2005). Toxic Waste Dumping in the UK For seven years, from 1965 to 1972, UK contractors were paid by Monsanto illegally dump highly toxic waste in landfill sites around the United Kingdom. The company’s managers knew the high toxicity of the waste materials and the threat they could cause when they came into contact with plants, wildlife and people. According to the environment Agency, some of these chemicals were found to be contaminating ground water and air more than 30 years since the dumping occurred. In 2003, the landfill site at Brofiscin quarry near the city of Cardiff erupted, spreading toxic fumes over the whole area. These fumes were later fund to contain the same chemicals used in Agent Orange (Robin, 2010). The company has also been found guilty of contributing to more than 90% of all hazardous waste sites all over the US. The Mississippi River has in particular been victim to Monsanto’s mindlessness about the environment (Cudworth, 2003). In addition to the many legal battles that the company has had to face due to its creation of toxic and environmental Unfriendly products, there are also several unofficial complaints levelled against it for coercing farmers to buy its products. Monsanto’s mode of operation in business is normally seen as being unfair since it monopolizes the industry it is in (Pringle, 2005). The government has allowed the company to operate freely for a long time, and this has given Monsanto the liberty to operate as if there are no environmental laws to be considered. Although the company does sponsor projects in some of the best amusement parks in the US, there remains a lot that it can do to make the environment safer (Pennell, Choi and Molinaro, 2009). Tougher legal measures should be taken every time the company is found to have flaunted any environmental law. In any case it is Monsanto’s vision to create products that enhance rather than destroy the beauty of nature. Therefore, they should be held responsible if they do live up to their commitment to the environment (Cudworth, 2003). Conclusion In essence, environmental law prescribes to society how to treat the environment. The kind of environmental laws that a country has play a significant role in the determination of the impact that an individual, group of individuals or a company may have on the world around them. Guarding the environment is everybody’s sacred duty, but there are people who, in a bid to make as much money as they possibly can, go out of their way to ignore environmental laws. While it is true that Monsanto has risen over the years to become one of the most recognizable names in the world of biotechnology and agricultural products, it is also a fact that the company’s products have caused a lot of harm to the environment. From the much publicized Agent Orange to its recent highly marketed RoundUp, the company’s products have been found to contain toxic elements that can have fatal effects not only on human, but on the while environment as well. One of the reasons that the company may have been free to sell products that are not meant to be sold to the pubic could be its close relations with the government. References Cudworth, E. 2003. Environment and Society. London: Routledge. Cummings, C.P. 2009. Uncertain Peril: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds. New York: Beacon Press. Huff, E. (2011). Monsanto pesticide found to infect plants with AIDS-like disease: http://www.naturalnews.com/032441_pesticide_AIDS.html Huff, E. (2011). Obama administration to approve drought-resistant GM corn that USDA says grows no better than natural corn: http://www.naturalnews.com/032453_GM_corn_USDA.html#ixzz1UrvX8ldH Monasanto.com. Company History. Pennell, A., Choi, P. E. and Molinaro L. 2009. Business and the environment: a resource guide Washington, DC: Management Institute for Environment and Business. Pringle, P. 2005. Mendel to Monsanto--The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest. New York: Simon & Schuster. Robin, M.M. 2010. The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Politics and Power. London: Spinifex Press. Read More