Monsanto Case Study

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Monsanto is the world’s largest seed company and they are a company who specializes in genetic manipulation of organisms. The company was founded in 1901 by Mr. John F. Queeny in St. Louis, Missouri. Monsanto’s first product was an artificial sweetener and an artificial vanilla flavoring which was sold to and used by the Coca-Cola Company we all know, today. At the start of World War I, Monsanto learned of the potential growth opportunities within the industrial chemical industry. Because of the huge opportunity, the renamed their company and had a new focus. They began specializing in plastic, agricultural chemicals, and synthetic rubbers. In 1964, the company changed its name back to the Monsanto Company due to its diverse product line. By this point, they were manufacturing fibers, packaging, and petroleum. In the late 1960’s, Monsanto created its first Roundup herbicide. During the 1970’s, Monsanto encountered a legal obstacle in that year. the company had manufactured a chemical known as Agent Orange which was designed to quickly deforest the Vietnamese jungles. Agent Orange contained dioxin, which later, resulted in hundreds of veterans being harmed by the harsh chemical. Monsanto and many other manufacturers settled out of court for $180 million. In 1981, the company changed their focus to biotechnology so in 1994 they introduced the first biotechnology product. In 1997, Monsanto spun off its chemical business as Solutia and changed its name to Pharmacia. Two years later, a new Monsanto, focused on agriculture. The company’s name was tainted when it was revealed that the company had been covering up decades of environmental pollution. For nearly forty years, the Monsanto company had been releasing toxic waste into the creek in Alabama. This caused many issues in the creek and in the community. The fish were deformed, and the population has elevated PCB

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