Editing Monsanto (section)

=== Haiti ===
After the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]], Monsanto donated $255,000 for disaster relief<ref name=SeedDaily>[http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/Haitian_farmers_protest_Monsanto_seed_donations_999.html Haitian farmers protest Monsanto seed donations], Hinche, Haiti (AFP) June 4, 2010</ref> and 60,000 seed sacks (475 tons) of hybrid (non-GM) corn and vegetable seeds worth $4 million.<ref name=BusinessWeek>{{cite magazine|last=Katz |first=Jonathan M. |url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FMUQN80.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518201252/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FMUQN80.htm  |archive-date=May 18, 2010 |title=Monsanto gives Haiti $4 million in hybrid seeds |magazine=BusinessWeek |date=May 14, 2010}}</ref> However, a [[Catholic Relief Services]] (CRS) rapid assessment of seed supply and demand for the five most common food security crops found that the Haitians had enough seed and recommended that imported seeds be introduced only on a small scale.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120308151257/http://oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Agriculture/publicdocuments/CRS.%20Rapid%20Seed%20Assessment.%20Mars-10.pdf "A Rapid Seed Assessment in the Southern Department of Haiti."] Catholic Relief Services, March 2010</ref> Emmanuel Prophete, head of Haiti's Ministry of Agriculture's Service National Semencier (SNS), stated that SNS was not opposed to the hybrid maize seeds because they at least double yields. Louise Sperling, Principal Researcher at the [[International Center for Tropical Agriculture]] (CIAT) told HGW that she was not opposed to hybrids, but noted that most hybrids required extra water and better soils and that most of Haiti was not appropriate for hybrids.

Activists objected that some of the seeds were coated with the [[fungicide]]s Maxim or [[thiram]]. In the United States, [[pesticide]]s containing thiram are banned in home garden products because most home gardeners do not have adequate protection.<ref>[http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P1009J9G.PDF US EPA: Pesticides – RED Facts Thiram]. (PDF).</ref> Activists wrote that the coated seeds were handled in a dangerous manner by the recipients.<ref name=truth>{{cite web |url=http://www.truth-out.org/monsanto-haiti/1304605989 |title=Monsanto in Haiti |publisher=Truth-out.org |access-date=February 9, 2012 |archive-date=May 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509194832/http://www.truth-out.org/monsanto-haiti/1304605989  }}</ref>

The donated seeds were sold at a reduced price in local markets.<ref name=BusinessWeek /> However, farmers feared that they were being given seeds that would "threaten local varieties".<ref name=SeedDaily />