Monsanto's Cruel, and Dangerous, Monopolization on American Farming (2008)

# Summary Monsanto employs private investigators and agents throughout rural America to enforce its genetically modified seed patents, using tactics including surveillance, infiltration of community meetings, and confrontation of farmers and businesses suspected of patent infringement. The company's aggressive enforcement practices have earned it comparisons to organizations like the Gestapo and Mafia among farmers, even targeting non-farming businesses like the small country store owner Gary Rinehart, who was confronted despite having no involvement in seed sales or planting. Monsanto justifies these actions as necessary protection of its substantial research investments, though critics argue the tactics instill fear disproportionate to actual patent violations.