When emailing Monsanto about GM crops one of the questions asked was “How long have GM products been used?” Monsanto 's response, “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) aren’t just about food. They’ve been around for quite some time - long before anyone began developing crop seed. The art of gene splicing dates from 1972. In that year, Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer developed techniques that made it possible to chemically cut and splice strands of DNA at specific places in the sequence. Boyer used an enzyme to cut …show more content…
The response to question number 12. Do you consider GMO to be environmentally safe? Please explain. “No. I am a beekeeper and there is evidence that GMOs are harmful to bees and other pollinators( responder 680).” This response sparked interest to do more research on GMOs being harmful to bees. In an email interview with Monsanto one of the questions asked was what is the process that Monsanto is taking to ensure that GM products are safe for bees? “It wouldn’t be in our best interest to harm bees. Monsanto’s vegetable seed and alfalfa seed businesses need healthy pollinators as do our farmer customers. Monsanto is actively engaged in honey bee health. In 2011, we acquired Beeologics, a company with significant expertise in developing treatments for key honey bee diseases. Treatments for Varroa mites and viruses are now in our bio direct TM pipeline. Complementary to these efforts to control honey bee diseases, Monsanto also has a robust seed treatment stewardship plan to maintain the integrity of seed treatments and manage risks to beneficial insects such as bees (Monsanto interview).” Bees play a vital role in agriculture as natural pollinators (Card K1). Pollination is a necessary part of some plants fertilization processes because it allows for the development of fruits and seeds(K1). One-third of the world 's crops are pollinated by honey bees(K2). Farmers are facing the challenges of providing more food for a growing population.While the honey bee is facing its own problem. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which bees are disappearing abruptly from an otherwise healthy colony (card K4). Monsanto acquired the Israel-based company in 2011 and through continuous investments in research and innovations, we are developing a line of products to specifically address the long-term health of honey bees( K7). Bio direct bee health, one of the products in early