Monsanto Annual Shareholder Meeting
Building A
800 Lindberg Road
Creve Coeur, MO

Good Afternoon. My name is Adam Eidinger and I am the coordinator of the Right2Know March for GMO labeling. I am here on behalf of Harrington Investments and the Pesticide Action Network. Our resolution for consideration by fellow shareholders addresses serious risks associated with Monsanto’s GMO crops, toxic chemicals applied to these crops and related civil liability.

Our company’s hostility to environmentalist and organic farming concerns over GMO’s is fueling a major consumer backlash. The status quo of federal regulations that we successfully shaped without concern for the public’s concept of fairness and environmental stewardship is politically unsustainable.

In October 2011, at least 1000 people participated in a 15 day 313 mile walk from New York City to the White House to demand labeling of GMO’s. Major organic brands such as Rapunzel, Natures Path, Nutiva, Silk, Organic Valley, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, and Stonyfield Organic joined with groups like the Non-GMO Project, Food and Water Watch, Center for Food Safety and the Organic Consumers Association among 100 other groups to educate the public about unlabeled GMO foods they eat.

The public was also made aware that the major GE traits are either the expression of insecticide in crops, or resistance to weed killer, and that both technologies are rapidly failing in the face of the rise of “superweeds” and “superpests.” No human safety studies have taken place, even as the industry including Monsanto is moving on to breed resistance to ever more toxic herbicides including 2,4 D, the main ingredient in Agent Orange, and Dicamba, a potent neurotoxin listed as a “bad actor” by the Pesticde ActionNetwork. The failure of this technology is on the wall, and widespread public rejection is immanent. Monsanto should change course and bail out of this sinking ship before its too late. Doubling down breeding resistance to ever more toxic chemicals so more can be sprayed threatens the survival of this company just as much as public health.

There is far too much to speak on here in three minutes. In sum, Monsanto needs major reform. You don’t have to go searching for activists using Blackwater contractors to learn what we want. All you have to do is talk to us face-to-face. Intimidation, deception, infiltration all open the company up to lawsuits. People are going to speak their minds and they’re going to come here and continue to protest because they are fed up with this company. Monsanto needs reform and must accept responsibility for the rise of super weeds, contamination of organic crops and increasing amounts of unhealthy herbicides sprayed on farms.

Against the backdrop of previous multi-hundred million dollar settlements relating to GMOs, shareholders are rightfully concerned about the prospects of more big lawsuits to come.

Background on the Resolution:

Our resolution is simply asking shareholders are made aware of the following:

On-going buffer zone control, including production acreage losses and on-going maintenance required to secure or maintain access to contamination-sensitive markets,

Crop, production, and post-harvest losses and associated costs of market rejections, including temporary or permanent market losses resulting from GMO contamination;

Loss of organic or other third-party certification due to GMO contamination and any costs associated with additional, record-keeping, testing or surveillance required to regain certification or retain certification on impacted operations

Well water testing and/or groundwater cleanup.
contamination if found.

Removal and destruction of contaminated GMO plants;

Pollinator losses and related damages e.g. to non-target organisms;

Soil contamination and on-going related mitigation and remediation costs; and

Damage to farmers’ reputation, livelihood, and standing in the community

Vote yes on the GMO resolution.