I mean, their bananas are great (finally, something a college student can afford!). And their commercials influence me to visualize a tropical paradise complete with a hammock every time I peel one of their bananas with a Monsanto sticker clumsily attached to the side. What more is there to love from a company that produces healthy, affordable food that tastes like the tropics and is only 1 mile down the road?
Hm, maybe that they spread cancer-causing bacteria into the waters where I live? Thanks Monsanto.
Seattle sues Monsanto, seeking millions to clean up PCBs from Duwamish
For those of you who are already familiar with Monsanto, I hope you can feel the dripping sarcasm embedded in the title. And for those of you who feel inclined to say they know what Monsanto is, but can’t quite articulate exactly what it is, I’ll give you a quick breakdown.
Monsanto is a global agricultural corporation that produces and engineers patented seeds. They kinda-sorta monopolize the agricultural world in multiple continents in different ways, such as monopolizing a trade market with their bioengineered seeds, disabling other sellers from entering the market, thus forcing (some of) their consumers to be the only seller to buy from them. I do not want to say too much about them that I do not know, so I’ll stop there. But I think of Monsanto like those hairspray companies that produced CFCs which damaged the ozone. There are other ways to sustainably produce a good, it’s just a matter of how to carry that out.
But looking at the underlying factors, would people care what Monsanto does if their food still tastes good and is affordable? I shamefully still buy from them, even knowing what type of company they are (given most of the time I don’t look at the food brand label). I mean, should I even care, if they aren’t affecting me? Would it even make a difference? My contribution is really only about $5, whereas grocery stores as a whole represent thousands of dollars. Why would Monsanto care about my personal opinion then? Simple fact is, they don’t.
Now that my city disapproves of Monsanto, I feel stronger in publicizing my opinion of them. Because without the city of Seattle disapproving of Monsanto’s actions, who would I be in their vision? I would not come near their radar, I’m too far down. I’m $5, to be exact. But now that my city has spoken out about them, does this strengthen my incentive to not only care, but to publicize my opinion? Does this instance mean that I can more easily find grassroot leverage points to which I can enter my opinion into the system, and actually make a difference?
Maybe grassroots politics isn’t that crazy after all. Maybe instead of rallying via Twitter, or in rants that my friends just tell me to “calm down Sydney, you’re talking all crazy again,” my energy should be spent focusing on a leverage point where it might actually have an effect: outside the grocery store.
But even then, maybe my $5 would only turn into $20. I’m not going to put a tent up and shove picket signs in people’s faces, screaming clever chants and staying outside for 10 hours every day for a week. Maybe my $5 would then turn to $200, but that strategy just doesn’t sit well with me. But the initiative of being there with a simple sign pointing out that Monsanto is bad is an improvement, right? Would that mean that my voice would matter then, if I was planting a seed in consumer’s heads that Monsanto is bad?
If I decide that I am too afraid to act, too afraid to put myself out there, too afraid to be shamed, and instead keep my thoughts to myself, does that encourage others to do the same?
I think it does. But I also think that there are too many things to feasibly take under your wing, and that you should not guilt yourself to a point of discouragement. So here, I think, I’m just going to tell myself–and you too–to think wisely, and experiment confidently, looking to strike when and where you think is right.
Who knows, maybe one day it’ll make a difference.
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I apologize if there is anything in this that is incorrect, I am not assuming myself to be an expert on any of these subjects (especially Monsanto) in any way or form. If there is anything that is incorrect in my post, feel free to help direct me to a more accurate understanding. Thank you, and thanks for reading!