# Monsanto's grip on American farming > How a chemical giant became agriculture's most feared enforcer, using private investigators and aggressive lawsuits to control the world's food supply. - Title: Monsanto's grip on American farming · Vanity Fair | Shortify - Summary: How a chemical giant became agriculture's most feared enforcer, using private investigators and aggressive lawsuits to control the world's food supply… - Keywords: monsanto, genetically modified seeds, patent enforcement, farming, seed patents, agricultural monopoly, private investigators, roundup ready, farmer lawsuits, food supply control, dioxin, pcbs - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/news/2008/05/monsanto200805 - Author: Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele - Published: 2008-04-02T04:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: monsanto, genetically modified seeds, patent enforcement, farming, seed patents, agricultural monopoly, private investigators, roundup ready, farmer lawsuits, food supply control, dioxin, pcbs ## The seed police arrive A stranger confronted Gary Rinehart at his small-town store in Eagleville, Oklahoma, accusing him of planting Monsanto's patented soybeans without permission. Rinehart wasn't a farmer. He owned a country store. > Monsanto is big. You can't win. We will get you. You will pay. ## Monsanto's enforcement army The company deploys private investigators across rural America to secretly videotape farmers, infiltrate meetings, and gather intelligence on farming activities. Farmers call them the seed police and compare their tactics to the Gestapo. ## The patent that changed everything In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled five to four that seeds could be patented like any other invention. Monsanto seized the opportunity, developing genetically modified seeds resistant to its own herbicide, Roundup. ## Seeds you can't replant Farmers who buy Monsanto's Roundup Ready seeds must sign agreements prohibiting them from saving seeds for next year's planting. This forces farmers to buy new seeds annually, a radical departure from centuries of farming practice. ## Contamination without consent Even farmers who don't buy Monsanto seeds can face lawsuits if genetically modified seeds blow into their fields by wind or get mixed in during commercial seed cleaning. The seeds look identical; only lab analysis reveals the difference. ## From chemical giant to life sciences Monsanto transformed itself from a chemical company responsible for toxic PCBs and dioxin into an agricultural company. It spun off its chemical operations into Solutia, leaving the Monsanto brand clean while liabilities stayed behind. ## The Nitro explosion of 1949 A pressure valve explosion at Monsanto's Nitro plant released dioxin, causing workers to develop chloracne and systemic poisoning. The company downplayed the impact, claiming it was just skin irritation. > caused a systemic intoxication in the workers involving most major organ systems ## Dioxin: the persistent poison Dioxin, classified as a human carcinogen, persists in the environment and accumulates in the body. Monsanto produced it for decades at Nitro, where it contaminated rivers, streams, and fish long after production stopped. ## Agent Orange's toxic legacy During the Vietnam War, Monsanto's Nitro plant manufactured Agent Orange, the powerful herbicide used to defoliate jungles. Manufacturing created dioxin as a byproduct, affecting workers and later veterans. ## PCBs poisoned Anniston From 1929 to 1971, Monsanto's Anniston plant produced PCBs, dumping excess waste in open pits and streams. The company even invited residents to use contaminated soil for their lawns, exposing thousands without their knowledge. ## Hiding the PCB danger When the FDA found high PCB levels in fish near Anniston in 1970, Monsanto worked to suppress the information. An internal memo instructed officials to keep the problem quiet and convinced a local reporter there was no cause for alarm. > CONFIDENTIAL, F.Y.I. AND DESTROY ## Anniston's cleanup bill Monsanto paid 550 million dollars to 21,000 Anniston residents exposed to PCBs, but many still carry the chemical in their bodies. Once absorbed into human tissue, PCBs remain there permanently. ## Rinehart's wrongful investigation Monsanto's investigator Jeffery Moore secretly surveilled Rinehart's farm and collected soybean samples from roadside ditches, claiming they tested positive for Roundup Ready technology. The company later dropped the lawsuit without apology or compensation. > I don't know how they get away with it. If I tried to do something like that it would be bad news. ## Thousands of investigations Since 1996, Monsanto has launched thousands of investigations and filed lawsuits against hundreds of farmers and seed dealers. A 2007 report documented 112 lawsuits across 27 states, but many more farmers settle without going to trial. > The number of cases filed is only the tip of the iceberg ## Pilot Grove's scorched earth battle When a Missouri farm co-op refused to settle, Monsanto escalated its legal assault, demanding access to computers, subpoenaing 100 customers' records, and seeking to triple damages. The co-op's lawyer called it a scorched earth tactic. > Monsanto is doing its best to make this case so expensive to defend that the Co-op will have no choice but to relent ## The rBGH milk wars begin Monsanto developed rBGH, an artificial growth hormone for dairy cows that increases milk output. When Kleinpeter Dairy labeled its milk as coming from non-rBGH cows, Monsanto complained to the Federal Trade Commission about deceptive advertising. ## rBGH's unknown long-term effects The FDA approved rBGH based on a 90-day study with small animals, but people drink milk for a lifetime. Canada and the European Union never approved it. Scientists remain concerned about the lack of long-term safety studies. > But people drink milk for a lifetime ## Pennsylvania's labeling ban In 2007, Pennsylvania's agriculture secretary banned dairies from labeling milk as rBGH-free, claiming it implied competitors' milk was unsafe. Public outrage forced Governor Rendell to reverse the decision within weeks. > The public has a right to complete information about how the milk they buy is produced ## The tide may be turning Organic dairy products are soaring in popularity. Major chains like Kroger and Starbucks have rejected rBGH milk. Monsanto's estimated 30 percent market penetration has likely dropped significantly. ## Monsanto's next battleground Blocked at the federal level, Monsanto is pushing state-by-state labeling restrictions through AFACT, a producer group using the same public relations firm as Monsanto. Efforts are underway in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, and Missouri. ## Key takeaway Monsanto uses intimidation tactics and litigation to enforce seed patents, forcing farmers into annual purchases while hiding a toxic industrial past.