What measures should consumers take to counter the increasing domination of seeds by corporations?

Corporations are fundamentally different from countries (governments). They do not have the ability to redistribute wealth. Corporations are not charitable organizations.

A healthy country (government) has the function of taking more taxes from those with lots of money and distributing them to those with less money. Corporations do not have that function. The main purpose of a corporation is to maximize profits, and who owns the corporation is the shareholders. The purpose is to pay dividends to the shareholders, who are the investors.

Appealing to them to think more about society as a whole, since they are using roads, ports, and other social infrastructure built with taxpayer money, is completely ineffective.

There is a race to dominate seeds around the world with Monsanto (also Bayer of Germany, Syngenta of Switzerland, and Dow Chemical of the U.S.) as the largest player. They are acquiring seed companies in various countries one after another. In the world of global capitalism, this is a natural result. What is frightening is that these companies are becoming more powerful than any one country.

What happens when just a few companies hold the lion's share of the market, starting with F1 and ending with genetically modified seeds? If those companies raise the price of seeds, we have no choice but to comply. If they mandate the sale of seeds in bundles with pesticides, we have no choice but to comply.

It is the natural right of consumers to know and choose what is in the food they eat.

So what should we do?　I think the first step is to learn the facts and speak up.

Japan is a major producer of genetically engineered foods, but the labeling requirements are vague, so it is difficult to know how to boycott these foods. I think the best approach is to lobby the government through local legislators.

Roundup is used in home gardens and large farms. This product was listed as "biodegradable and environmentally friendly," but has been convicted in New York and France for over-advertising. More than 90% of the American public wants GMOs labeled, and there is a major movement in several states for mandatory labeling.

There is the other reality. Japan's too-high food waste rate and too-low food self-sufficiency rate. A society that is too hasty. A society that prioritizes efficiency too much. I wonder if the cost of these factors has led to the current state of agriculture and food in Japan.

Certainly Monsanto's business practices are too far removed from business ethics. What is the background that gave rise to this Monsanto Company? I think it is also important to consider this question once again.

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