Essay on Monsanto: A Big Biotech Company, With Many Stakeholders.

Monsanto is among the biggest biotechnology companies in the world. While the only stakeholders in its early life were the investors and customers, a shift in market power has added employees, communities, customers, suppliers, regulators, politicians, and media into the list. The interests of the stakeholders are varied. For instance, investors are interested in profits, the farmers in quality seeds, communities in sustainable agriculture, and regulators in the compliance with the existing laws. In several instances, the company has been accused of failing the stakeholders through engagement in illegal or unethical activities. For instance, the production of Agent Orange in the 1970s and the cloud of controversy hanging over Roundup are some of the ways in which the company failed some of its stakeholders. Moreover, the company lacks a culture to respond to the needs of its stakeholders, such as consumers. Unfortunately, government regulation has also not sufficiently protected the consumers.

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For several years, Roundup has been accused of hurting human and animal life. Some studies have linked glysophate, a key component of the herbicide, to various diseases, including cancer. However, Monsanto has continuously denied such allegations. To manage potential harm in plants and animals, more comprehensive research needs to be carried out to determine the effects of Roundup. Other than settling claims from the rising lawsuits by farmers whose health has been affected by Roundup, Monsanto should also fund such studies.

The allegations against the company have adversely hurt its image. To improve its image, the company should increase outreach to consumers. This move will increase awareness of its activities and address help address the controversies that the company is currently facing. On the social responsibility front, the company should seek to improve the health of people around the world and also address the issue of climate change.

For a long time, Monsanto has been accused of using its almost monopoly status to exploit consumers. This status has also been the source of its huge power over the years. The company also consolidated its power through tactics such as forcing farmers to use certain herbicides and patenting of various seeds. Its recent merger with Bayer increases its power and control over the world’s pesticides and seeds market. The near-monopoly arising from the merger has led to the collapse of smaller companies and farmers, and hence should be broken up. While the lawsuits against the company have affected its reputation and finances, the power consolidated over the years is still helping it thrive.

Millions of consumers around the world are also worried about the rise of GMOs. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) refer to plants whose genetic composition has been altered to enable them to withstand difficult climatic conditions and pests. In the longterm, they lower the prices of food and help increase the sufficiency of food in the world. They have also been shown to be friendly to the environment. GMOs have not been shown to cause any adverse effects, and hence are safe. However, they lead to excessive corporate dominance and the disruption of traditional farming practices, which is considered unethical.

The use of PCBs is also a testament to Monsanto’s unethical practices. Owing to the dumping of the chemical in the neighborhood, residents were poisoned and are still suffering from the health effects of the chemicals. Some of the health effects suffered by the residents include paralysis, memory loss, and cancer. While the company was made to pay the residents, no amount of compensation can reverse the health effects they are suffering from.