Part I: Getting to Know Your Neighbor

By Jennifer Smith

You may have noticed a lot of red dirt and activity lately in the old pineapple fields of central Molokai. While a few lonely rows of corn here and there hint at what’s going on, there is a lot more happening below the surface of Monsanto’s expanded seed growing operation on Molokai.

Who are they? What are they growing? How are they impacting the community? Monsanto Molokai is a two part series offering a background and discussion of Monsanto’s practices on the Friendly Isle. Part I of Monsanto Molokai details the history of the company, as well as discusses their agricultural operations on the island. Part II will dig a little deeper into the political matters, as well as provide an in depth discussion of Monsanto and the genetically modified organisms which are grown in their fields.

History

Monsanto was founded in 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri, and has since grown to span the world. They are most famous for such products as the artificial sweetener saccharin, Agent Orange (used primarily in the Vietnam War), and today they are the world’s leading producer of the herbicide “Roundup”.  Monsanto employs over 16,000 people worldwide, and they reported annual revenue of $7.344 billion for 2006, according to Google Finance.

Monsanto first made an official name for itself on Molokai when they purchased Hawaiian Research from the Holden family in 2000. However, many people were unaware of the change as signs around the facility still read Hawaiian Research.

Corn research in Hawaii stretches back to the late 1960’s when farmers sought out Hawaii as a more dependable location for the production of winter crops. Previous locations such as homestead Florida and Puerto Rico proved to be much riskier than newly established Hawaii locales.

While, Hawaiian Research has been involved in growing an assortment of different crops through the years, their main focus has always been on corn.

Today, Monsanto Molokai provides many of the same services that Hawaiian Research did. Basically the company provides agricultural development services. This includes the growth and hybridization of various strains of corn for seed production. The strains of corn include both natural and biotech varieties.

Of their upcoming production, 100% is reported to be corn for seed production. The majority of these crops are intended for Monsanto’s own commercial purposes, while roughly 15% are for third party companies.

This year, Foster expects to plant 300 varieties of corn for more than 100 different customers. He also said that Monsanto could expand to growing soybeans on Molokai in the near future.

Growth

According to Foster, Monsanto employs roughly 600 people statewide, with operations on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Molokai. On Molokai they employee around 100 full-time employees, and approximately 60 seasonal workers. Foster says the company spends approximately $8 million per year on the Island.

Recent expansions have included a 500 acre increase in land leased from Molokai Ranch. Monsanto has entered into a 99 year land lease with Molokai Properties Limited.

Of the 1,650 acres that they have leased throughout Molokai, some of which has come from the state, 450 acres are unsuitable for farming (the majority of this land is said to be used for isolation space between crops). This year they are expecting to cultivate 400 acres, which is approximately a 25% increase from the previous year’s crops.

In addition to expanding crop production, Foster says the company is also spending approximately $6 million to upgrade infrastructure and facilities. Improvements include a new drying facility which will automate the husking, drying, shelling and bagging processes, in addition to providing storage space. New equipment purchases include a new harvest that can handle six rows of corn at a time.

 “We’ve just gotten to the point where we can’t do it all by hand,” said Foster. The new facility is set to be completed by the beginning of 2008.

Employment

Although Monsanto’s operational footprint has increased by 25%, Foster says employment numbers should remain the same. Because most of the expanded fields require less hands-on attention, and because the new seed dryer improves automation. Foster estimates that at most he may need to add an additional 20 seasonal workers.

This January, Monsanto Molokai will hire between 60 and 80 seasonal workers with a starting pay of $11.50 an hour. Foster said they “basically hire everybody who walks through the doors in January.”

Foster admits that in the past, Monsanto has brought in employees from other areas, including migratory Mexican laborers from Iowa. But currently, all of the company’s employees are from Molokai. Besides consultants and company specialists, Foster says he has no plans to source fieldworkers from anywhere else but Molokai.

Homesteaders

Foster says he’s open to the idea of Homesteaders contracting with Monsanto to raise corn and has discussed the idea with local farmers. Despite having no current contracts, Foster believes prospective partnership could provide lucrative opportunities for interested homesteaders.

But Foster stresses the idea is for homesteaders to decide on. He says that Monsanto is not soliciting any official offers at this time. The previous owner of Hawaiian Research did have contracts with homesteaders, and Foster feels that the idea would be a, “terrific opportunity for them to be involved in corn production.”

Likewise, Monsanto is looking to move their agricultural endeavors as far away from town as possible. “We’d prefer not to be here,” Foster explains, largely because of pesticide use, and dust debris. One of Monsanto’s Kaunakakai fields is located adjacent to the backyards of some Manila Camp residents.

Environment

Foster says he is sensitive to the island’s water needs and that Monsanto has developed a water conservation program to be implemented in times of drought. He says that new and existing fields are being retrofitted with drip-irrigation, versus overhead systems which waste a significant amount of water. The overhead systems will continue to be used on freshly tilled fields to help regenerate them for new plantings.

Foster says that in comparison to the pineapple plantations of old, the corn operation will require far less water. He estimated that an acre of corn requires about 400,000 gallons of water to cultivate. Of their 1, 650 acres, Monsanto is looking to cultivate 400 acres this upcoming season.   

Efforts to deal with erosion and dust control issues have already begun in many of the newly tilled fields. These include terracing, the planting of grass on cross-slopes, grassed waterways, and the tilling residual crops to hold soil in place. They have also begun planting panex windbreaks to replace wiliwili which has been devastated by an invasive wasp.

Afraid of GMOs? Have questions about Monsanto’s relationship with the Ranch? Wondering if Monsanto’s lands will be affected by the Land Use Plan? For answers to these questions and more, stay tuned for Part II of Monsanto Molokai.