Editing Monsanto (section)

==== India-specific issues ====
In 2009, Monsanto scientists discovered insects that had developed resistance to the [[Bt cotton|Bt Cotton]] planted in [[Gujarat]]. Monsanto communicated this to the Indian government and its customers, stating that "Resistance is natural and expected, so measures to delay resistance are important. Among the factors that may have contributed to [[pink bollworm]] resistance to the Cry1Ac protein in Bollgard I in Gujarat are limited refuge planting and early use of unapproved Bt cotton seed, planted prior to GEAC approval of Bollgard I cotton, which may have had lower protein expression levels."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/india-pink-bollworm.aspx|title=Monsanto ~ Cotton In India|date=November 3, 2008|publisher=Monsanto.com}}</ref> The company advised farmers to switch to its second generation of Bt cotton – Bolgard II – which had two resistance genes instead of one,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030664831400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315155536/http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030664831400.htm|archive-date=March 15, 2010|title=Bt cotton ineffective against pest in parts of Gujarat, admits Monsanto|date=March 6, 2010|work=[[The Hindu]]|place=Chennai, India}}</ref> the widely recognised [[best practice]] to forestall, prevent, and cope with any kind of [[pesticide resistance]].<ref name="USEPA-resis-man">{{cite web | title=Slowing and Combating Pest Resistance to Pesticides | author=US EPA ([[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]) | date=May 12, 2016 | url=http://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/slowing-and-combating-pest-resistance-pesticides | access-date=2021-10-28}}</ref><ref name="Pesti-Stew">{{cite web | last=Buhler | first=Wayne | title=Take Steps to Avoid Insecticide Resistance – Pesticide Environmental Stewardship | website=Pesticide Environmental Stewardship | publisher=[[North Carolina Extension]] | url=http://pesticidestewardship.org/resistance/insecticide-resistance/take-steps-to-avoid-insecticide-resistance/ | access-date=2021-10-28}}</ref><ref name="WSU Tree Fruit 2018">{{cite web | title=Managing Pesticide Resistance | website=[[Washington State University|WSU]] Tree Fruit | date=2018-05-15 | url=http://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop-protection/opm/resistance/ | access-date=2021-10-28}}</ref><ref name="USDA-NIFA">{{cite web | url=http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resources/Insecticide%20resistance.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910030336/http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resources/Insecticide%20resistance.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-10 |url-status=live | title=Insecticide Resistance: Causes and Action | author1=[[Insecticide Resistance Action Committee]] | author2=Regional IPM Centers | website=USDA ([[United States Department of Agriculture]])}}</ref><ref name="BASF-insecti-MoAs">{{cite web | url=http://agriculture.basf.com/global/assets/en/Crop%20Protection/innovation/BASF_Insecticide_MoA_Manual_2014.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420062556/https://agriculture.basf.com/global/assets/en/Crop%20Protection/innovation/BASF_Insecticide_MoA_Manual_2014.pdf |archive-date=2021-04-20 |url-status=live | title=Insecticide Mode of Action - Technical Training Manual | author=[[BASF]]}}</ref><ref name="Fr-resis-man">{{cite web | title=La résistance aux produits phytopharmaceutiques | date=2016-03-29 | url=http://agriculture.gouv.fr/la-resistance-aux-produits-phytopharmaceutiques | quote=Il faut aussi ... varier les modes d'actions ... et éviter les faux mélanges de produits ayant le même mode d'action qui ne font qu'augmenter le risque | website=[[Ministry of Agriculture (France)|French Agriculture Ministry]] | first=Christophe | last=Délye | trans-quote=We must also ... vary the MOAs ... and avoid fake mixes with the same MOA which only increase the risk.}}</ref><ref name="De-sustain">{{cite web | url=http://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Publications/NAP.html | title=National Action Plan on Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products | website=[[Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Germany)|German Agriculture Ministry]] | quote=The varieties being grown today are usually resistant to or tolerant of individual biotic or abiotic influences. Resistances based solely on one plant characteristic (often controlled through one gene) can be broken by adapting the harmful organisms. Increasingly, the aim in resistance research is to create modern breeding measures which breed polygenic resistant plants with resistance mechanisms that harmful organisms find it difficult to circumvent. | access-date=October 28, 2021 | archive-date=October 30, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030033850/https://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Publications/NAP.html  }}</ref> However, this advice was criticized: "an internal analysis of the statement of the Ministry of Environment and Forests says it 'appears that this could be a business strategy to phase out single gene events [that is, the first-generation Bollgard I product] and promote double genes [the second generation Bollgard II] which would fetch higher price.{{'"}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/12/stories/2010031263690900.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314222159/http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/12/stories/2010031263690900.htm|archive-date=March 14, 2010|title=Monsanto 'admission' has business motives?|date=March 12, 2010|work=[[The Hindu]]|place=Chennai, India}}</ref>

Monsanto's GM cotton seed was the subject of NGO agitation because of its higher cost. Indian farmers crossed GM varieties with local varieties, using [[plant breeding]], violating their agreements with Monsanto.<ref>Ghosh, Pallab (June 17, 2003), [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/2998150.stm "India's GM seed Piracy"], [[BBC News]].</ref> In 2009, high prices of Bt Cotton were blamed for forcing farmers of [[Jhabua]] district into debt when the crops died due to lack of rain.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/25/stories/2009082554841400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828160245/http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/25/stories/2009082554841400.htm|archive-date=August 28, 2009|title=Jhabua on its way to becoming Vidarbha-II?|date=August 25, 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|place=Chennai, India}}</ref>