The Great Crisis Of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is suffering from a $72bn debt crisis. The US territory must import more than 85 percent of its food, and it has yet to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.At the same time, agrochemical companies like Monsanto (now owned by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer) have received massive tax breaks to test and grow GMO seeds on the island, including soybean and cotton seeds that the company sends to farmers around the world. The presence of Monsanto, and the territory’s deepening economic crisis, has prompted some locals to resist the company’s presence on the island. Meanwhile, those living near Monsanto’s operations allege the chemicals the company sprays, both on its fields and inside its facilities, are making them sick. Monsanto maintains the chemicals it uses are safe. Monsanto is no stranger to controversy. The company’s activities are well-documented, including in India, as well as in the United States, where 13,000 plaintiffs have alle...