WHAT MONSANTO ROUNDUP IS USED FOR

Monsanto has been around since the 1970’s but grew in popularity in the 1990’s when they released “Roundup Ready” crops that resist herbicide used to diminish weeds throughout their fields. Monsanto has been around since 1901, when it was launched by pharmaceutical company agent, John F. Queeny. In 1974, Monsanto first introduced Roundup herbicide, now among the worlds most widely used herbicides. In 1996, Monsanto introduced Roundup Ready seeds, which Monsanto genetically engineered to tolerate its Roundup herbicide. Farmers are then free to generously spread Monsanto Roundup throughout their fields without the fear of killing their crops. Roundup Ready soybeans, corn, cotton, and other crops have since dominated every market in which they’re sold. In that same year, Monsanto signed contracts to license corn and soybean seeds from DeKalb Genetics and buys the cotton and biotech company Agracetus. By 1999, after an $8 billion licensing and buying spree, Monsanto became the foremost producer of genetically modified crops. In 2002, Monsanto became a publicly traded company. In September of 2012, a highly contested study finds that Roundup herbicide and genetically modified maize cause tumors and organ damage in rats. Roundup’s main ingredient is glyphosate, is a highly suspected carcinogen, and even the World Health Organization claims it “probably” causes cancer. By October of 2013, Monsanto was expanding its weed-management incentive programs, which come with cash, for farmers.