There are many different GMOs that were developed to exhibit various traits, and Monsanto (now Bayer) is just one of many companies that sells GMO seeds. The argument always seems to arise when discussing GMOs that they are some sort of plot by Monsanto to sell more pesticides and to control the seed market. The truth is that companies have been patenting seeds long before GMOs were around. Many organic growers use patented seeds and pesticides as well. The reality is that it takes an average of 13 years and $136 million to bring a genetically engineered crop to market because they are so highly regulated, so it makes sense that they’d protect that investment through a patent. This is not something unique to GMOs.
In addition, there are companies other than Bayer that sell GMO seeds and pesticides. Although people will cite the increase in glyphosate (an ingredient in various herbicide brand names, including Roundup) in the past few decades as proof that GMOs have led to an increase in pesticide usage, this is misleading. First, glyphosate has replaced much harsher pesticides. Second, the population of the U.S. has increased, and the amount of food each acre produces has also increased. Pesticide use has decreased — both per unit produced and per capita — from almost three pounds per person per year in 1980 to less than two pounds per person per year in 2008. Third, pesticide quality has improved since the 1960s and has become less toxic, more potent (leading to lower application rates), and less persistent in the environment. Over the last 20 years, GMOs have actually reduced pesticide applications by 8.6 percent.