Walmart And Monsanto Team Up To Sell Genetically Modified Sweet Corn

Retail behemoth Walmart says it will soon be selling a new variety of genetically modified sweet corn developed by seed megacorp/frequent litigator Monsanto. This is the same corn that other big names like Whole Foods and General Mills have already said thanks but no thanks to.

“After closely looking at both sides of the debate and collaborating with a number of respected food safety experts, we see no scientifically validated safety reasons to implement restrictions on this product,” a Walmart rep explains to the Chicago Tribune.

This new corn, currently being harvested, is resistant to a common herbicide. Thus, farmers can spray their crops to kill weeds but not kill the corn. The Tribune reports that the corn also contains a toxin that fends off certain pests.

Monsanto, apparently taking a break from suing organic farmers, explains that the goal of the modified corn is to cut down on insecticide use.

“Overall, sweet corn makes up less than 1 percent of total corn acreage in the United States … yet accounts for 40 percent of all corn insecticide treatments,” a rep tells the Tribune. “Farmers who grow biotech sweet corn can reduce insecticide applications by as much as 85 percent.”

Earlier this year, 463,000 people signed a petition, organized by the consumer advocates at Food and Water Watch, asking Walmart to please, pretty please, not use this corn.

Though regulators in the EU, China, Russia, Australia, and Japan require specific labeling for genetically modified items, the FDA does not. Thus, Walmart will not be singling the corn out.

It also hasn’t said whether it will sell any sweet corn that doesn’t come from the Monsanto seeds. But the retailer says customers who want to make sure they aren’t buying the modified corn should look for items labeled “organic.”

Michael Hansen of Consumers Union says the lack of required labeling for genetically modified corn has made it difficult to track whether or not the item has had any adverse effects on those who eat it.

“There has been a doubling of food allergies in this country since 1996,” he explains. “Is it connected to genetically engineered foods? Who knows when you have no labeling? That is the problem.”

Many folks eat sweet corn straight off the cob, which Hansen says could heighten any problems with the food: “Whatever the risks of (this technology), you would expect higher exposure eating a product such as sweet corn.”


Edit Your Comment

  1. Rexy does not like the new system says:

    It’s impossible to be surprised by anything Walmart does.

  2. cactus jack says:

    Monsanta for the (early) holiday season.

  3. jp7570-1 says:

    Mon Santa – big ag’s version of Christmas Creep.

  4. guaporico says:

    The vast majority of corn is already GM, same with soybeans and it has been for years. Many other crops are following suit. You probably don’t know just how much gm-foods you are eating.

    IMHO, the danger is primarily environmental, not to those who are eating it. You should be more concerned with the pesticides used on these crops, not the food itself.

    • PSUSkier says:

      I think more people are concerned with the blatant asshattery that Monstanto made their business model than they are the actual GM food.

      • Smiling says:

        Not me. This is the same corn that has been shown to be quite harmful to lab animals. It destroys the digestive systems of pretty much anything that consumes it. It has not been tested on humans, and I won’t be their test subject. I will be buying organic so I can be assured of no destruction happening to my digestive system. The ease with which people are willing to consume such a product is frightening.

        • sdnative says:

          It shouldn’t be too surprising (at least in the US) especially sense Americans still smoke, consume tons of sugar as if later-in-life diabetes doesn’t exist, and eat fast foods high in saturated fat and salt. I think average people just don’t care that much about their health. Otherwise they would have a problem with this corn.

        • cactus jack says:

          “It destroys the digestive systems of pretty much anything that consumes it.”

          Source. Source. Source. You keep spewing this nonsense everywhere in this topic, so please give us a source that this GE corn is destroying the digestive systems of lab animals and “pretty much anything that consumes it.”

          Wal-Mart is not in the business of killing their customers and I doubt they would like to open themselves up to lawsuits nation-wide by selling something that has been tested and proven to harm lab animals.

          You would think some common sense would kick in at some point before you start posting this fearmongering drivel but I guess you are just immune.

          • ed5000 says:

            It took me roughly 15 secs to find the source of this statement [“It destroys the digestive systems of pretty much anything that consumes it.”]. You could’ve gotten off your a&& and looked it up, too. You sound like lazy a right-wing nut to me, whining about how someone should do your work for you.

            The issue is the use of the toxin that destroys the insects that eat the corn, and no one, least of all you, have spent enough time studying the long-term effects of this toxin and whether it actually breaks down before reaching the consumer. If you want to take Monsanto’s word for shit, think back to Agent Orange. That crap you probably would’ve endorsed during the Vietnam War that has destroyed uncountable lives of both US troops and innocent Vietnamese, not to mention a whole lot of jungle. Dingleberries should study more and whine less.

            • Nick1693 says:

              “You could’ve gotten off your a&& and looked it up, too.”

              One, this is the Internet. You can swear here. Fuck.

              Two, if you make claims, you are expected to back them up. Not the reader.

        • YouDidWhatNow? says:

          I can only hope those are the dumbest things you’ve ever said. But, I doubt that is the case…

        • Badger Tale says:

          You said it. Why would I want to kill myself for the sake of lowering the price of corn and increasing someone else’s profit line? I’ll pay more for real corn if that’s what it takes…I’ll grow it myself if necessary.

    • aen says:

      This is very true. And chances are, Monsanto sells the herbicide as well, this is a business model they’ve had for years and years and has obviously worked very well for them.

      However, I think that the FDA is wrong in not requiring labeling, too much information never hurt anyone.

      • Lt. Coke says:

        That’s not true. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think cereal boxes need to be labeled with “Contains no uranium! Less than 1% of this product is made with the hearts of children!” More information is more clutter, and nobody wants that.

        • Barefoot Dude says:

          Uranium? Children’s hearts?? What version of reality do you live in? Don’t try to deflect the argument by pulling useless ideas out of your arse – stick with the facts.

        • aen says:

          If by ‘nobody’ you mean food companies, you’re absolutely correct. They would go without the nutrition label in a heartbeat in favor of better branding.

          People worried about GMO’s would look for the sign or label before purchasing. I, for one, don’t feel cluttered while I’m eating some sweet corn because the packaging is usually in the trash at that point.

          • Cerne says:

            If people care about GMO’s let them do their own research.

            • ARP3 says:

              You’d make a great industrial age robber-baron.

              And how do I research if there’s no label? Is all Wal-Mart corn GMO,? Some? What about Albertson’s? They’ve made no public statement. Do I need to contact the store I want to shop at every time before I go shopping.

          • jebarringer says:

            People worrying about GMOs typically don’t know what a GMO actually is, and only worry about them because some talking head told them to.

            • Smiling says:

              I do, and it isn’t pretty. Several European countries have banned them for good reason. The pesticides they put on them are no better, and are very difficult to completely wash off.

              • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

                Several European countries have considered Hyper-electrosensitivity a real thing and believe homeopathy works. Doesn’t mean they are/do. Means they don’t understand how science works.

        • foliardud says:

          I farm and I will never raise GMO and I out yield most of my local growers by 20 to 30 bushels per acre, so GMO will not feed the world! Sad thing is most farms must apply insecticide at planting and foliar apply in season since the GMO has built resistance like corn root worm just one of the many.

        • Gunsaw says:

          Fig Newtons contain less than 2% aphids by volume and peanut butter contains no more than 3 and 1/2 whole macerated cockroach bodies per 8 ounce jar, both smooth AND CRUNCHY!

      • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

        RoundUp went out of patent over a decade ago. Most people don’t mention that because it destroys the myth that they make money off both ends and they are responsible for the tolerance/resistance plant species are developing.

      • YouDidWhatNow? says:

        Emphatic NO.

        Requiring special labeling on GMOs implies that it’s something you should pay attention to and use during your food buying decision-making process.

        It isn’t.

    • el_red says:

      I suggest you google “horizontal gene transfer” and then tell me if you think GMO are safe for humans.
      Especially the gene swap is more dangerous for kids, vs adults, and can create toxic effects.

      Plus, several GMO foods ended up with “secondary effects”, corn sweeter than before, for example. An unexpected outcome. One that was not planned at the beginning.

      I just want GMO labeled, to know what I am eating and buying. And if non-GMO foods sell more, well that is the essence of capitalist. People must be free to make an informed choice, while shopping.

      • Lt. Coke says:

        You can say GM foods make you uncomfortable. It’s silly, but whatever. What you’re not allowed to do is make things up to convince other people to follow you. Keep this in mind next time you post <3

  5. StatusfriedCrustomer says:

    I think they’re making the corn sweeter so they can repetition the FDA to call corn syrup “corn sugar”.

    • kenj0418 says:

      They aren’t making the corn sweeter. Sweet corn has been around for hundreds of years, and is the corn you eat off the cob. Field corn is the other main type of corn – it is fed to livestock and I think it is the only one used in corn syrup, HFCS, ethanol, and the bazillion other corn products.

  6. SavijMuhdrox says:

    I like buying my corn from the various farm stands I pass on my way home.. in Northern New Jersey..

    no i’m not kidding. and yes, NJ corn is some of the best damn corn you can buy.

    buying corn from Wal-Mart just feels wrong..

    • Rexy does not like the new system says:

      Buying anything from Wal-Mart is wrong.

    • IGetsAnOpinion says:

      Mmmm – NJ corn. Moved out of state and beg family to bring with them when they come visit.

    • HalOfBorg says:

      I knew of a few stands in our area where it was found they bought the bulk of their produce at Walmart. Locally grown, all organic carries a high enough price at a roadside stand to make easy money.

      • pythonspam says:

        Easy way to tell… look at the tomatoes. Real tomatoes are imperfect and smell like something, unlike the hot-house tomatoes available year-round from W-mart.

    • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

      That’s GMO corn. Real wild corn looks nothing like what you buy.

  7. CaptCynic says:

    Sorry, what is the problem with this? Less pesticide, higher yield, lower prices, right?

    • JEDIDIAH says:

      GMO crops imply MORE pesticide.

      They tend to be engineered to either generate their own pesticide or tolerate a chemical environment that would kill non-GMO varieties of the same crop.

      • George4478 says:

        The article doesn’t ‘imply more’, it directly states ‘less’. So, I’m not seeing the implication you are.

      • Cerne says:

        Some GMO crops do this. Most do not, especially modern varieties.

      • Smiling says:

        The ones that generate their own pesticides destroy the digestive systems of the insects that consume them. Imagine the slow and steady damage it does to us.

        • menty666 says:

          I have a problem with the corn itself being a pesticide.

          And for those of you that think organic will save your hide, what makes you think the bee that visits Farmer Santo won’t fly a mile down the road to Farmer Organic’s field to pollinate those corn blossoms with the GMO pollen?

          • NanoDog says:

            Most farmers aren’t growing their own seed from their corn, they buy it… lot’s of hybrid varieties out there

            • Gunsaw says:

              The vegetables you buy at the chain stores have seeds that won’t produce viable crops…you may get the plants to grow but they are sterile, won’t produce fruits, or the fruits they do produce are of poor quality. This is engineered into the plants so that the farmers will have to resupply their crops from the manufacturers modified seed. Search online for heirloom seed and grow your own over and over every year from a one time purchase of heirloom seed. They also taste better…start small and try just the tomatoes…way better that the store bought variety.

        • Carlos Spicy Weiner says:

          That was my first thought…has the GMO “pesticide” a plant generates itself been tested thoroughly? Just because it’s something the plant “makes” naturally doesn’t mean it couldn’t be a carcinogen to humans with long-term use, especially if they concentrate it into corn syrup. As far as “Roundup Ready”, that’s been around a while. It’s not just so Monsanto can sell more Roundup, it’s so farmers can spray the whole field for weed control, and not have to be so careful around the crop.

        • esc27 says:

          This is why we should ban chocolate.

  8. JEDIDIAH says:

    If I can’t plant my own in the back yard without being sued for patent infringement then I’m not interested.

    • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

      Did you buy the seeds? Then yes, you can plant it.

    • OldSchool says:

      Make that if I cannot use the resulting seeds from my harvest for my next one or even sell my excess then I am not interested and you will be on the oproper track.

      • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

        So farmers can not sell their product if they use Monsanto seeds? Then why are they farming? Or do you mean they can not sell their product AS seed, and only as a food product? Bog difference.

        • Martha Gail says:

          They cannot keep their seeds, clean them, and replant them for next year’s crop. They have to buy new seeds.

          They also cannot use seeds that have been contaminated by Monsanto’s seeds, so if another farmer’s crop gets cross-pollenated with yours…look out for a lawsuit.

          • Nick1693 says:


            They cannot KNOWINGLY replant seeds contaminated with Monsanto’s genes. That idiot farmer who got sued for it knowingly used Roundup on his field, told Monsanto about it, and denied their offer of paying to clean his field. You have to admit, that’s an idiotic thing to do.

        • Martha Gail says:



  9. HeadsOnPikes says:

    A review of suggests to me that a number of Walmart shoppers could stand to have their genetics modified.

  10. CappyCobra says:

    If Walmart thinks I’m biting, they can kiss my grits!

  11. Lt. Coke says:

    This doesn’t seem so bad. Don’t get me wrong, I hate Monsanto, I think copyrighting genetically modified things is stupid, and their entire business model is parasitic in nature.

    But GM crops are necessary for our future survival. How do you feed 7 billion people without GM foods? You don’t, some of them just starve to death for no good reason. Labeling the food doesn’t make any sense either; it’s one of the few things I disagree with Bernie Sanders on.

    • pythonspam says:

      You know what happens when one company ends up selling (in this case liscensing the use of, for one season) all the seeds? We all pay the price — both the endless cost of seeds (and pesticides), actual taste and nutrition (as companies work to make produce more shelf stable and producable year-round), and allergies.
      You know what happens when you don’t have biodiversity and something happens to the one strain left?
      Think: Irish Potato Famine, except as the breadbasket for the world, there won’t be a new continent to migrate our huddled masses.

      • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

        You DO realize that multiple company sell seeds, like Bayer, DuPont, Land O’ Lakes, etc…

        Also, herbicides are covered under patent law, and as such, most have gone out of patent and are made in generic varieties, like RoundUp.

      • Lt. Coke says:

        I did not say GM crops were a miracle cure for all our food-related problems. But they are necessary, and on an individual level, they’re harmless.

        Yes, biodiversity is a serious problem with GM crops. But this is a separate issue; biodiversity is a problem that governments and biotech industries need to solve. The average consumer who’s just putting food on the table isn’t harmed at all by unknowingly eating GM foods.

    • kent909 says:

      Good point Lt. Coke, all these starving people in the world can now go in their house and get their money and then get in their cars and drive to Wal-Mart and buy some genetically modified corn on the cob. I sure am glad that Wal-Mart and Monsanto are solving the problem of starvation in the world.

      • cactus jack says:

        Or this same food science can be implemented in needy countries so they can eat.

      • Lt. Coke says:

        The US government buys surplus crops. What do they do with them, you think? Dump them in the ocean? They actually dump it on countries with large numbers of impoverished populations. Those surplus crops wouldn’t be possible without huge advances in land use and GM crops.

    • Carlos Spicy Weiner says:

      I think you have to look at case by case. You’re right, GMO has made a lot of things possible in Agriculture that are almost essential in today’s world. But I think some of the things cooked up by a gigantic, profit driven mega-corporate agribusiness like Monsanto are only looked at (and tested) from the “bottom line” side of the equation. Long term safety isn’t often an equal side of that equation.

    • mrearly2 says:

      No, GM seeds and crops are not necessary. The only reason such a thing was invented was for profit and control.

      • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

        Compare wild corn, wild ba-nay-naise, etc… to their domesticated/GMed relatives we eat. I guess Mendel was all about profit and control, wasn’t he.

        • Lt. Coke says:

          GM crybabies never bring up Mendel. Mendel basically invented the idea of GM crops; he just used a much slower method than we use today.

      • LabGnome says:

        Some billion people who were born in less hospitable areas would disagree with you.

  12. Cerne says:

    WTF is up with the consumer’s union lately? That statement about food allergies is just moronic fear-mongering and unworthy of what is supposed to be a fact based consumer organization.

    • Carlos Spicy Weiner says:

      Cerne, we just don;t know about why there are SO many more food allergies these days, and adding things like wheat gluten and high fructose corn syrup to almost everything under the sun MAY play a role.

      • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

        Actually, many suspect that the people avoiding certain foods for their children cause the allergies, as their systems are not used to the foods as they are developing, and don’t generate an “immunity” to them.

  13. SoCalGNX says:

    The Europeans have banned genetically modified foods. Why should the American consumer be given this with lots of fancy PR to make it sound nice. Its called Frankenstein food for a reason.

    • jebarringer says:

      The only reason it’s called “Frankenfood” is fearmongering.

    • Smiling says:

      Yes it is called that for a reason. And the American Mind is so gullible that any person who dares to challenge it or call it dangerous is called a fearmongerer or is insinuated to be unintelligent. People who are afraid to question food that kills the organisms that dare consume it are the ones who are unintelligent.

      • Smiling says:

        And if you think for a second that corn stops in the human digestive system and says, “Wait, this isn’t a bug or a rat, we shouldn’t hurt this person” then you are really gullible. The corn has no way of differentiating what organisms to harm and not harm. Period.

        • cactus jack says:

          This is chock full of nonsense and total misinformation.


          If every species was identical, sure. But you must know this isn’t the case. What is harmful for us may not be harmful for another species. It’s this knowledge that goes into GE foods.

          For example: Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs. Humans can eat grapes and raisins without an issue. How do the grapes and raisins differentiate between a human and a dog???

          Many of the medications we use without thinking much about, such as acetaminophen, is deadly to cats and dogs, yet we use it as a pain reliever for kids and adults.

          I have no problem with people who want nothing to do with GE foods. It’s your body, put what you want in it. But don’t start spreading nonsense.

          • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

            Don’t forget chocolate. But chocolate is sentient, like corn. It goes “Hey, a frakkin dog ate me instead of a depressed person. Screw this!” and proceeds to kick the dog to death from the inside.

          • Gunsaw says:

            I can see your point but when tested on rats which are more compatible to humans than cats or dogs in these circumstances what are the scientific results? I just want specifics and truths…and I’m well aware of the historical wrongs involving business and government. I would also be curious if Monsanto owners and CEO’s and such use their own products? Just curious.

    • YouDidWhatNow? says:

      ” Its called Frankenstein food for a reason.”

      It is indeed. The reason is that people are ignorant, stupid, and wildly gullible.

  14. NotEd says:

    Thanks, but no thanks Monsanto and Walmart. One of the few extra nice benefits in living in the Midwest is that I can now drive out of my neighborhood, right accross the street to a farm selling non-modified sweet corn.
    And if their out I can go 10 more minutes down the road and get it from a farm near the High School.
    Either way I can throw it on the grill when I get home and eat what FSM intended. So there.

    • Unknownable says:

      Though you threw me at first with FSM…
      I’m sure his noodle-lyness will strike down these GMO’s!

    • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

      Your corn was modified. Thinking that it wasn’t only shows you have no clue about genetics or how food is bred.

    • kenj0418 says:

      IANAA (I am not an actuary), but I’m pretty sure you are subjecting yourself to more health risks driving 10 minutes down the road than you are just eating the GMO corn. (But then again, at Walmart, you could always be caught in the cross fire between a receipt checker and an angry Consumerist reader. So maybe it’s a wash.)

    • YouDidWhatNow? says:

      You make baby FSM cry. And me and SteveDave, apparently.

    • cris3429 says:

      All your Midwest sweet corn is genetically modified buddy, unless it specifically stated that is organic.

  15. GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

    “frequent litigator Monsanto”

    Cite your source Moran. And that Food, LTD dvd you watched doesn’t count.

  16. Mitch says:

    Walmart is all about profit at the cost of the consumer, they don’t care about shoppers, just their wallets. Thanks Wally World, I’ll keep that in mind!

  17. GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:


    Wow, that is such an idiotic statement. Wouldn’t one expect a higher exposure if it was a vegetable that you ate nearly all of?

  18. LilBambi says:

    Sigh… some days…

  19. alexwade says:

    I, for one, welcome our new genetically modified sweet corn overlords.

  20. cspirou says:

    Genetically modified food in and of itself is fine. Cross breeding of plants produces much more variation then just changing one gene that usually occurs with these breeds. The problem is the patents they apply that screw over farmers and the fact that it’s really way too expensive to be effective. For a fraction of the price it is possible to produce a plant with the traits you want, but without the huge expense involved in genetic engineering.

    • kenj0418 says:


      No one is forcing farmers to buy GM seeds. They are free to purchase conventional seed, or use conventional seed they saved year to year. But 85-90% of the corn grown in the US is GM because whatever extra cost there is to GM seeds is apparently less than the extra money the farmers make or save by having higher yields and/or lower pesticide/herbicide/etc. costs. If it wasn’t effective, then no one would be using it.

      That’s only true if the trait you want is already present in corn (or whatever crop you are working with). You aren’t going to be able to cross your corn crop with a bacteria, for example. Some traits you are only going to get from only genetic engineering.

      • Raider Duck says:

        I agree with most of your post, but some farmers are being de facto forced to buy GM seeds. If the farm next to yours has Monsanto seeds, sooner or later you can expect a visit from your friendly neighborhood Monsanto goon who will state that Monsanto seeds have blown onto your property (whether they have or not), which puts you in violation of their patent (yes, the Supreme Court has ruled that food and seeds can be patented). Monsanto will then threaten to sue you until the attorney fees alone put you into Chapter 12, UNLESS you agree to immediately become a Monsanto customer and buy all your seed from them.

        And this is part of the reason why people hate the company so much.

        • kenj0418 says:

          If you spray your field with Roundup to kill all of the non-GM plants, and then replant whatever survives so that you end up with a whole field of seed then, yeah, you will probably get sued. You will probably also tick off your neighbors who paid to get the same seed you just started using for free.

          On the other hand, if you have GM seeds from your neighbor end up on your field, and you just farm normally – then I seriously doubt anything like what you describe would happen.

          • Auron says:

            Monsanto has done that before, stating the the recipient of the wind blown seeds is violating their intellectual property rights.


            • kenj0418 says:

              You linked to a story about organic farmers suing Monsanto because of something that hasn’t happened yet. Not to one about Monsanto suing farmers. This suit sounds like a publicity stunt by the organic growers to me. I saw the following quote on this site from the judges when she dismissed the suit: “Even were there credible threats of suit from defendants [Monsanto], there is no evidence that plaintiffs are infringing defendants’ patents, nor have plaintiffs suggested when, if ever, such infringement will occur,”

              • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

                But Food Incoporated said Percy Schmeister was sued, so it has to be true for EVERYone!!!11!

                I wish people would read, rather than let someone tell them what to think in a movie, then complain I’m the one who is brainwashed.

  21. Carlos Spicy Weiner says:

    The combining of a giant retailer with a giant agribusiness company is surely a delightful thing for all humanity. Let us all skip down the isles as happy Wal-Martians and celebrate how lucky we are that the good folks at these companies are making our lives so much better.

  22. eezy-peezy says:

    No one has yet mentioned what the GM corn does to other non-pest species. I live in a rural area and used to see a lot of Monarch butterflies. Very few these days. Reason – GM corn contains a pesticide toxic to caterpillars (BT). Corn pollen falls on leaves of plants in the corn field, such as milkweed, that Butterfly larvae live on. Result – diminution of butterfly population.

    • GitEmSteveDaveHatesChange says:

      Exactly how far does corn pollen travel? While plants INSIDE the corn fields might be toxic, what about those outside? Also, don’t they treat for weeds in corn fields, like milkweed, so would there be any weeds for the monarchs to eat?

      This might answer your questions:

    • Badger Tale says:

      Use only Open Pollinated…die Monsanto, die. You’ve managed to enrage Indian farmers who are now refusing to buy your corn…what next, the world! Great job poisoning everything you touch.

      Not gonna shot at Walmart…EVER…

  23. stellapurdy says:

    Anyone that thinks Monsanto and Walmart are doing this for the good of society needs their head examined. Mega corporations will do as they please and char the earth without looking in the rear view mirror as long as the shareholders are happy. It can be many, many decades later when the real damage they’ve inflicted is discovered. Google Onondaga Lake. Monsanto is evil, no surprise they hooked up with Walmart

    • kenj0418 says:

      Let me fix that for you: Anyone who thinks (company) and (company) are doing (thing companies decided to do) for the good of society needs their head examined and/or a lesson in how capitalism works. Corporations will do as the law allows as long as the shareholders are happy.

      If they are a public, for-profit company and they AREN’T acting in their shareholders best interests — then they are doing it wrong.

      I googled Onondaga Lake as you asked. Wikipedia blames Honeywell not Monsanto. If that was just meant as an example of damage being discovered years later then it doesn’t seem to be a good example for that either since they’ve known their were pollution problems there for over a hundred years.

      • stellapurdy says:

        So if I understand you correctly, your position is that capitalism and the good of the shareholders supercedes the good of society. Therefore they can crop dust the planet at will unless there is a law that states they cannot. And then it’s up to society to pick up the pieces after they’ve made their profits and left town.

        The reason I used Onondaga Lake as an example was not because Monsanto is implicated in it’s destruction, but rather how the pursuit of corporate profit destroyed an entire ecosystem. It doesn’t matter that it started 100 years ago. What’s going to happen 100 years from now after eating GMO foods?

        Onondaga Lake from As the industrial revolution took hold, and the city’s population expanded, the lake was used increasingly for the disposal of domestic and industrial waste. Conspicuous signs of deterioration of the lake ecosystem began to emerge by the end of the 19th century. The cold-water fishery was lost by 1890. Ice-harvesting was banned in 1901, swimming in 1940, and fishing (due to mercury contamination) in 1970.

        • kenj0418 says:

          No my point isn’t that capitalism and the shareholder interest supersede the good of society. My point was that the purpose of a corporation is to make money for their shareholders, period. Monsanto and Walmart aren’t special in this regard. If you are counting on ANY large corporation to ‘do the right thing’ absent a legal requirement or a business interest to do so, you are going to be disappointed 99% of the time.

          If you are looking for companies to ‘self-regulate’ you aren’t going to like the result. We need agencies like the EPA, FDA, USDA, etc. to regulate these companies and to ensure that larger societal interests are respected – because companies surely won’t otherwise. (And this doesn’t just apply to the environment — look at the financial sector and what has happened there after years of deregulation.)

          • stellapurdy says:

            I understand what you are saying and agree, corporations will not self regulate and we need government agencies that will. Corporations will however spend a gajillion dollars to lobby politicians to make sure such agencies turn a blind eye.

  24. Bravo says:

    NO…Walmart you are making a big mistake teaming up with Monsanto. I guess the corn i bought a day ago will be the last i buy from you!

    • Raider Duck says:

      OK, you’re on. Drop Wal-Mart like a hot potato and start buying all your produce at Safeway or Kroger. Guess what? They all sell Monsanto-related foodstuffs, too. Saying you’re not going to eat food that Monsanto had anything to do with is like saying you’re not going to eat any corn products. It’s theoretically doable, but you can kiss your money and/or free time goodbye.

    • Badger Tale says:

      No More Walmart For Me EITHER!

  25. ecvogel says:

    Or put up alot of bat houses:
    Providing bat houses can help build the populations of many valuable bat species that eat many crop-damaging insects, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers and corn worm moths. Bat houses furnish places for bats to roost, hibernate and raise young, in addition to the dwindling number of natural sites available to them.
    You can buy them at
    Wow no GMO’s just plain natures

  26. Badger Tale says:

    My entire family is now boycotting Walmart. We will no longer shop for food, clothing, cheap Chinese crappiola, etc… We’ll get all that at Target….

  27. Derwood Durmitz says:

    I suspect Walmart has been selling generically modified corn for years. That would help explain the people I see shopping there.

  28. gedster314 says:

    Yet another reason to avoid Walmart. In the past 6 years, the only time I went to Walmart was when I had a part time merchandising job and I had to fill in for the regular person. I avoid the store like the plague.

    On a side note, for the love of God, Country and Health, why isn’t GMO food labeled as such? Must be for the love of Campaign funding and Lobbiests.