GMO Company’s Recent Guilty Plea May Reignite Opposition Groups… Mounting fines may not mean much to their business, but seed companies might find themselves under more public pressure after pleading guilty to 30 environmental crimes last week.
Monsanto’s recent guilty plea may reinvigorate opposition to genetically modified seed companies and revive questions over their value to Hawaii.
The seed industry, particularly Monsanto, has faced massive scrutiny internationally, having settled thousands of cases involving billions of dollars for products leading to health and environmental problems.
But critics say the $12 million fine that resulted from 30 environmental violations was not enough to dissuade the company, now owned by German pharmaceuticals conglomerate Bayer, from spraying pesticides and acting irresponsibly toward the environment in Hawaii. Monsanto’s fines total $22 million in recent years, having paid $10.2 million in 2019 for illegally storing hazardous waste and spraying a banned pesticide on crops on Maui.
