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Monsanto, considered by some to be the world’s most-hated corporation, has negotiated a partnership with 4-H, a popular worldwide agricultural youth organization. 4-H has more than six million members in 80 countries, anywhere from elementary school age through high school. Monsanto boasted the partnership by giving a shout-out to “National 4-H Week.”

Influencing the future

The 4-H organization is extremely influential to children, and has a strong impact on mental and emotional development through its various clubs and programs. Monsanto’s partnership with 4-H therefore puts our children in a precarious position, as Monsanto exploits 4-H to influence and condition children’s minds and developing beliefs and value systems. Children are sort of like sponges; they soak up everything around them. This makes them easy and vulnerable targets for propaganda. What better way to influence the future of food than to condition millions of young minds into firmly believing that GMOs are safe and progressive and might just be the answer to all the world’s problems?

4-H and mega-corporate funding

4-H started at its origins to promote noble values, by training rural youth in hands-on agricultural skills such as raising animals, promoting responsible animal and land husbandry, and cultivating food resources in an ethical and responsible way. Unfortunately, the club is increasingly under the influence of the entities that fund it. And increasingly funding is coming from biotech and junk food entities and proponents, including Monsanto, Bill Gates’ foundation, Dupont, the United Soybean Board, Coca-Cola and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. (Fun facts: Over 90 percent of all soybeans are GMO, and… Coca-Cola spent over $1.5 million to defeat GMO labeling in California)