My reflections on Monsanto, the havoc and the rumors

Recently I have been reflecting deeply about my previous work experience many years ago for the giant corporation called Monsanto.  In 1994, a personal time of underemployment and high risk taking by myself, I found a way to be paid for making an educational and promotional documentary in the mountains of central Mindanao island in the Philippines.  For me, at that time, this was a good thing and I was happy it was happening.  My job was to produce a documentary about the herbicide, Roundup, as it was being used in a commercial reforestation project in Bukidnon province in the southern Philippines.  I availed of scholarly and scientific research they gave me at the time (1994) to develop a creative short video for the sales and promotion purposes of Monsanto’s offices in Singapore.

Fast forward to now–Now that the current lawsuit is happening against Monsanto and I am able to see other perspectives and information, I am deeply concerned about the weakened ethics of my previous professional work for that company.  I can’t undo the past but I can reflect upon its meaning so that I can learn, reflect and change.  I don’t know right now what is the right answer or most wise response, but I am questioning what happened and what I did at the time, albeit unknowingly..

I was convinced in 1994 that it was OK to use Roundup in commercial forestry and other agro–businesses, so I wrote and produced a good video for them at a bargain rate because I believed in the product and its purpose, plus I wanted to work on location in Mindanao.  No other video producer in their right mind would venture into Bukidnon as I did at the time.  I took my gear and gladly ventured there.  Monsanto paid me to live my dreams.

I worked on the Monsanto project in 1994.  I never imagined Roundup in a retail or household setting and to this day I remain convinced that glyphosate, when used in moderation, is basically OK for its primary purposes in the killing of weeds.  I don’t believe it causes an unreasonable risk beyond what any other chemical poison would pose.  I wouldn’t drink or inhale the stuff but there were rumors that it would be safe to do so.  Regardless of rumors, it is a weed killer and not a beverage.  There is a gap in my understanding of the current case against Monsanto.and how that 289 million dollar amount was arrived, but I understand the threshold was to prove that Roundup was a contributing factor.  They guy describes it blowing in his face as part of his job–his employer should be crucified!.

In the current case it sounds like a typical example of labor exploitation by government and corporate entities, where employers subject workers to unsafe or uncontrolled risks.

I need to post this article for my future reference

Why Does Everyone Hate Monsanto?
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