Monsanto's Arrogance: We Make Life Better in St. Louis Ad Campaign

Monsanto is one of the most hated corporations in the world? I can't disagree as I watch them trample over family farms as wind blows GMO pollen into their fields, and soon their teams of vigilant attorneys are threatening innocent farmers of patent infringement. To make matters worse, Monsanto is purchasing see companies so farmers will have less choice in seeds, essentially being forced to purchase the GMO seeds.

So Monsanto is busy with an ongoing public relations campaign that I have noticed a few times since getting to St. Louis to celebrate my nephew's first birthday. Reading the Riverfront Times this morning, I got a closeup view of Monsanto's rhetoric.

It features a mother holding up her baby near the Gateway Arch. Obviously, the message is our GMO seeds, which scientists now fear come with long-term health problems, are healthy enough for a mother to give to her child. The text is what really gets me in the ad. See if you can figure out why I am offended.

St. Louis has many places that inspire us to think of what might be. We've been inspired to improve the crops that feed and fuel our world because we dream of a better tomorrow for all of us.

Inspired to improve the crops? Well just how does Monsanto go about doing that?

They play with God's design, messing with the genetic code, alternating God's perfect plan. Do you see the arrogance? While many conservatives get upset with stem cell research that revolves around human cloning, they often give Monsanto a pass for their genetic modifications of life.

It goes farther. Ask the farmers that have become victims of Monsanto's bullying about a better world as their legal bills rack up for using traditional farming methods with the ethos of growing healthier food by throwing out Monsanto's science projects. Monsanto pollen blows into their field and next thing these farmers know is their lives suddenly change as they become slaves to Monsanto's tactics.

Whose world are they really improving? The ad campaign is to help promote and grow St. Louis, a city which continues to decline.  While Monsanto paints a cheery vision for St. Louis, the Monsanto skies over St. Louis and the rest of the world are dark, very dark. Have no doubt, with a patent shared with the United States government for terminating seeds, this is about controlling the world's food supply--not improving St. Louis.