Monsanto & Dole Team up on Vegetable Breeding

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The Co-Operator - submitted by Dave Bedard - 6/23/2009

Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and spinach breeding will
soon include a new player as U.S. seed and agriculture chemical firm Monsanto hooks up with Dole Fresh
Vegetables for a five-year collaboration deal.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Plant breeding will be used to improve the "nutrition, flavour, colour, texture, taste and aroma of these vegetables," the two companies said in a joint release Tuesday.
The program will focus on those four specific vegetables, the companies said, and "any new products realized from this collaboration could be commercialized by Dole in North America."
"The consumer wins because Dole's market knowledge combined with our research and development capabilities will help bring new healthy and flavourful products to consumers," said David Stark, vice-president of consumer traits at St. Louis-based Monsanto, in the release.
Monsanto said its "agricultural expertise that improves the speed and accuracy of new and beneficial characteristics" will be guided in this arrangement by Dole's" knowledge of consumer needs and marketing."
Dole, founded in Hawaii in 1851 and now headquartered near Los Angeles, posted 2008 net revenues of US$7.6 billion and bills itself as the world's biggest grower and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Dole's fresh vegetable production is generally done under "joint growing arrangements" with producers in California, Arizona and northern and central Mexico.
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Editor's note - Having been an organic vegetable producer myself, my heart skips a beat when I read such articles.
As we know, as sure as night follows day, where goes Monsanto, there goes genetic modificiation.
So how long will it be now before members of the organic movement, just like conventional grain farmers before you, will have to enter into contracts with these companies to buy their seeds rather than save your own, as you probably do now?
How about terminator vegetable seeds? Might they be coming, too?
Might the future also see these corporations prosecuting producers (ala Percy Schmeiser) because their corporate frankeseeds, through no fault of your own, have drifted into your gardens, contaminating your crops?
We already know what these mammoth entities are capable of, moving relentlessly to genetically modify just about everything.
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
These heartless "hollow men" must be stopped!
l.p.
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Click on headline for related story.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The information furnished has to reach every household. Monsanto is not the Creator.People that are growing their own should be advised to save the original seed.I understand that there already is a huge "Seed Bunker" established in a mountain side in Norway. We have to Boycott Dole products to start with
July 13, 2009 at 9:55 PM
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