An organic farmer contends that corporate monopolies and government collusion are poisoning the food supply with Roundup, leading to cancer and the destruction of family farms.
I have been an organic farmer in Maine I have been an organic farmer in Maine since the 1970s.
0:04since the 1970s.
0:04And no one can tell me or the other And no one can tell me or the other farmers here today that we can't grow farmers here today that we can't grow food without all of these toxic food without all of these toxic chemicals.
0:11chemicals.
0:11>> Over 140,000 >> Over 140,000 family farms will close this year. And family farms will close this year. And nobody is talking about it.
0:19nobody is talking about it.
0:19140,000 guys. Why is this happening?
0:22140,000 guys. Why is this happening?
0:22Well, in the 1990s, Monsanto, later Well, in the 1990s, Monsanto, later acquired by Bayer, introduced something acquired by Bayer, introduced something called Roundup Ready crops, which are called Roundup Ready crops, which are crops that are genetically engineered to crops that are genetically engineered to resist glyphosate, which is the key resist glyphosate, which is the key ingredient in their weed killer, ingredient in their weed killer, Roundup. This then led to a massive Roundup. This then led to a massive explosion in the use of glyphosate in explosion in the use of glyphosate in factory farming with now about 60% of
0:43factory farming with now about 60% of total crops being treated with this total crops being treated with this pesticide. The only problem is that pesticide. The only problem is that Roundup causes cancer and Bayer has Roundup causes cancer and Bayer has already had to pay tens of billions of already had to pay tens of billions of dollars to settle these cases, which dollars to settle these cases, which obviously is not ideal for corporate obviously is not ideal for corporate profits. In fact, Bayer is pushing a profits. In fact, Bayer is pushing a case in the Supreme Court right now that case in the Supreme Court right now that
1:01blocks people from suing them if they blocks people from suing them if they get cancer from Roundup. And the Trump get cancer from Roundup. And the Trump administration is backing Bayer's bid to administration is backing Bayer's bid to curb these Roundup lawsuits. And for the curb these Roundup lawsuits. And for the farmers who say, "No, no, we don't want farmers who say, "No, no, we don't want to chemicalize our food supply," Bayer to chemicalize our food supply," Bayer has methodically driven them one by one has methodically driven them one by one out of business. With the help of out of business. With the help of
1:22President Barack Obama, President Barack Obama, >> what has gotten us to this point is the >> what has gotten us to this point is the mergers and consolidations of a input mergers and consolidations of a input suppliers. In 2015, Monsano and Bayer suppliers. In 2015, Monsano and Bayer merged. They were competing against each merged. They were competing against each other, and that was during Obama's other, and that was during Obama's administration. They didn't do a thing administration. They didn't do a thing about that. They let it happen. When I about that. They let it happen. When I started farming, we had five or six
1:43started farming, we had five or six Arkansas based seed companies selling.
1:46Arkansas based seed companies selling.
1:46There's none. There's none. They're all There's none. There's none. They're all owned by Bayer.
1:49owned by Bayer.
1:49>> Point blank. They've created a monopoly >> Point blank. They've created a monopoly to poison you. And both parties are in to poison you. And both parties are in on it. Right now, there's a farm bill, on it. Right now, there's a farm bill, HR7567, HR7567, that Congress is expected to vote on that Congress is expected to vote on this week that cottifies immunity for this week that cottifies immunity for Bayer and basically destroy organic Bayer and basically destroy organic farming going forward. We cannot allow farming going forward. We cannot allow this to
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