Biggest ‘Corporate Fool’

Monsanto Voted America’s Biggest ‘Corporate Fool’

• by Beth Buczynski  April 1, 2012 9:22 am

The votes have been tallied, and for the corporations chosen as America’s “biggest fools” today is no joke.

Just in time for April Fool’s Day, GreenAmerica.org announced the winners of its online contest to determine the most socially, economically and environmentally irresponsible companies in the nation. And the results are as follows:

1. Agricultural and chemical giant Monsanto
2. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
3. Oil and gas powerhouse Chevron

Why do these three deserve such recognition?

Monsanto created Agent Orange, DDT, and engaged in massive aerial spraying of Round-Up as a drug-war tactic. They are also responsible for pushing unlabeled and untested genetically modified crops into our food supply.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has benefited hugely from the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. It regularly spends millions of dollars for television and radio advertisements for or against candidates and is not required to disclose its donors.

Over three decades of oil drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Chevron has dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest. As a result, locals have suffered a wave of cancers, miscarriages, and birth defects. Last year, an Ecuadorian court ruled in favor of local communities and ordered Chevron to pay $18 billion in cleanup and restoration efforts. Chevron is STILL fighting the decision in court.

To honor Monsanto as the nation’s biggest corporate fool, a donation was made in the name of Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant to Navdanya, an organization in India that has worked with 5,000,000 farmers to create seed sovereignty, food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture over the past two decades, and helped set up the largest direct-marketing fair trade, organic network in the country.

The Corporate Fool awards were presented in person to Monsanto, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Chevron on Friday.