Secretly Incredibly Fascinating - BONUS SHOW 263: "How Lint Caused An Economic And Political Crisis In Burkina Faso"
Update: 2025-09-22
Description
This is the bonus show for Episode 263! (Lint)
Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin explore the obviously incredibly fascinating topic of one change to a new GMO cotton crop, which collapsed the economy and government of a West African country, and what that could mean for GMO crops worldwide.
RESEARCH SOURCES:
- How power shaped the ‘success story’ of genetically modified cotton in Burkina Faso (The Conversation)
- Burkina Faso settles dispute with Monsanto over GM cotton (Reuters)
- In the episode we mention Monsanto using aggressive I.P. and patent practices to own seeds in a way that's predatory. Here's links about a U.S. legal case and a Canadian legal case where Monsanto did that.
- Burkina Faso country profile (BBC News)
- Why Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts and minds around the world (BBC News)
- YouTube upload of the A.I. generated song and music video "R. Kelly ft Rihanna – God Protect Ibrahim Traoré, Protect Burkina Faso"
- Encyclopedia Britannica entry for Thomas Sankara, president of Burkina Faso 1983-1987 -- Sankara's rule is one example of a Burkina Faso military government, espousing Pan-African philosophies, prior to this story.
- Lint, Filtered (Tedium.co)
- 'Founders Museum' from White House and PragerU blurs history, AI-generated fiction (NPR)
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