"If you read the Wall Street reports, they don't talk about soybeans as being from China. They don't talk about soybeans as soybeans. They talk about Monsanto soybeans. Monsanto soybeans are protected by a patent. It has a patent number It is therefore treated as a creation of Monsanto, a product of Monsanto's intelligence and innovation - Vandana Shiva (Barsamian, 1997)IntroductionMonsanto is a product manufacturer. chemicals of Saint Louis which is a major player in the weed control sector Monsanto has a rather heavy past. They developed and produced the famous defoliant “Agent Orange” used during the Vietnam War, they invented the controversial bovine growth hormone. (rBGH), and they were the inventors and the world's leading producer of polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs), which are now banned but still persist in our soil and water (Arax, 1997). for its powerful herbicide called Roundup. As the world's best-selling weedkiller, Roundup accounts for 17 percent of Monsanto's total annual revenue of $9 billion (Arax, 1997). The main ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate. Glyphosate is the eighth most commonly used herbicide in U.S. agriculture and the second most commonly used herbicide in non-agricultural settings (Cox, 1995). According to the US EPA, its annual use is estimated at 15 to 20 million pounds in agriculture and 4 to 6 million pounds elsewhere (Arax, 1997). Monsanto claims that Roundup breaks down quickly in soil, so little or no toxic byproducts accumulate in plant or animal tissues - a view that is often contested. Monsanto's patent on Roundup will expire in two years, and when that happens, countless chemical companies will undoubtedly do so. jump in... middle of paper ... Susan Benson and Rachel Burstein. “A growing concern.” Mother Jones January/February 1997: 37-43. Barsamian, David. “We can’t afford to have a sacred car instead of a sacred cow.” The Progressive September 1997: 36-39.Bruno, Kenny. “Say it’s not soy, Monsanto.” Multinational Monitor January/February 1997: 27-30. Cox, C. “Glyphosate, Part 1: Toxicology.” Journal of Pesticide Reform Fall 1995 Vol. 15, No. 3.Cox, C. "Glyphosate, Part 2: Human exposure and ecological effects." Journal of Pesticide Reform Winter 1995 Vol. 15, No 4. “Perils Amid the Promise of Genetically Modified Foods” by Dr Mea Ho. Department of Biology, Open University, UK, November 1996.WWW.GREENPEACE.ORG/~GENENG/INDEX.HTML "Why Consumers and Farmers Should Avoid Monsanto's Genetically Modified Soybeans" - A report from Greenpeace.WWW.GREENPEACE.ORG/~GENENG/INDEX. HTML