Monsanto to Pay Dairy Producers to Use RBGH

Capital Press Monsanto recently announced a new Posilac rebate program called S.T.A.R. (Secure Technology Action Reward) in response to growing controversy over the artificial hormone. Producers who stick with rBST (aka rBGH) will not only enjoy up to 10 pounds more milk production per cow per day (the cows may pay the price for this overproduction with mastitis, a painful udder infection that can lead to blood and pus in milk and increased usage of antibiotics) but will now also be paid a dollar for every cow they inject with the drug. A spokesman for Monsanto had this to say: “We want to continue to reward and encourage producers who advocate the preservation of whichever U.S Food and Drug Administration-approved technology they use.”

The move comes as industry heavyweights move away from rBGH. So far this year, Starbucks has announced plans to discontinue the sale of dairy from cows treated with the drug (although they’ve only managed to increase their supplies of rBGH-free dairy by 10% since last year–hold them to their promise by signing on to this letter) in all of their US franchise stores, Safeway has made a similar announcement, and California Dairies Inc. has announced that starting in August, cooperative users who use the product will have to pay a surcharge.

We should all reward dairy farmers who don’t take this bri…err, rebate. Find rBGH-free dairy in your area with our interactive map or through the Eat Well Guide.