Monsanto's Seed Monopoly

Monsanto's Seed Monopoly

This article relates to Saltcrop

In Saltcrop, the Shimizu family has relied on farming to survive for generations, and by extension, on the agricultural corporation Renewal's seeds and anti-blight treatment, Amaranthine. Sisters Carmen and Skipper worry about making enough money to purchase supplies, even as Amaranthine poisons the land. While a competitor exists in the form of EarthWorks, it's clear that Renewal controls the agricultural supply chain in the near-future world of the novel.

Saltcrop's preoccupation with seed monopolies illustrates the real worries of farmers in our world. In the United States, 90% of all soybean seeds are sold by Monsanto, and the company also dominates the market for corn and cotton seeds. In addition to seeds, Monsanto produces herbicides like Roundup and Xtendimax that protect crops but can also pollute groundwater with dangerous chemicals. The company sells patented seeds that are resistant to their herbicides, locking farmers into purchasing seeds from Monsanto if they want to use Roundup or Xtendimax.

In Saltcrop, using seeds not produced by Renewal can come with severe consequences. A local questioned by Skipper and Carmen says that their sister Nora "asked a lot of questions about what crops people planted, and if anyone wasn't using Renewal seeds," and continues, "People get skittish about that kind of talk around here. Don't want Renewal thinking we aren't good customers."

This fear echoes the pressure to use Monsanto's herbicide-resistant seeds that is present in many farming communities. When farms use Roundup or Xtendimax, the resulting air and water pollution can damage the neighboring fields of farmers who aren't using the resistant seeds. As the sisters observe: "Their top product is Amaranthine. It's not in their interest to sell crops that don't need it."

Monsanto—​and now Bayer, which has owned the company since 2018—​has faced billions of dollars in lawsuits surrounding Roundup's environmental harm, health effects, and potentially monopolistic practices. Still, as seed prices rise (as much as 201% since 2000, in the case of soybeans), herbicide pollution spreads, and Monsanto sues its own customers for replanting patented seeds, Saltcrop's warning of a dystopian agribusiness future raises alarms. In a world stricken by climate emergency and crop blight, "Renewal controls everything."

Person spraying a pesticide, courtesy of Gilmer Diaz Estela via Pexels

Filed under Nature and the Environment

This article relates to Saltcrop. It first ran in the October 22, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.