Closing the gate to Monsanto!
One of the pleasures of winter is leafing through the numerous seed catalogues that drop in my mailbox, with larger-than-life vegetables jumping off the pages as wicked temptation for the gardener. As the snow falls outside, I pen an ever-growing list, with tantalizing names such as a Pink Elephant tomato, a Tongue of Fire bean, and a Sweet Passion melon, to name just a few.
This year, while thumbing through the pages, and clicking through the websites, I came across several articles regarding Monsanto; that huge corporation closely linked with Genetically Modified practices, pesticides and all the other horrors that the home gardener tries to avoid.
It seems that Monsanto has been swallowing up the seed market at such a rate that even the discerning home gardener could unknowingly be supporting the development and growing market of genetically modified crops. Even by buying organic or heirloom seeds, I could still be supporting these practices.
In 2005 Monsanto acquired Seminis, a corporation that represents 40% of the US vegetable seed market. As a result of this acquisition, Monsanto now owns the trademarks of many of our favourite, heirloom seed varieties and so by purchasing these varieties I could, unwittingly, be inviting Monsanto into my garden. It’s hard to believe that a company is so powerful that it can claim ownership of plant varieties that gardeners have been growing for decades, such as Big Beef tomato, Royal Chantenay carrot, Salad Bush cucumber and Golden Acre cabbage, the list goes on. To see a full list of Seminis/Monsanto varieties click here.
Whilst these heirloom varieties have not been Genetically Modified, they are owned by Monsanto and purchasing from companies affiliated with Monsanto/Seminis is effectively supporting the work being carried out by this corporation. If like me, you want to keep Monsanto out of your garden it’s important to know the seed company that you are buying from; check that they are not affiliated with Monsanto/Seminis and that they have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. To see a list of seed companies that have taken the Pledge, click here.
So with Spring approaching, here’s to a safe and healthy gardening year ahead, with my garden gate securely locked against Monsanto!
Adapted from my original post on Blueberry Hills Homestead blog.
