Monsanto Kills banner at St Enoch's Square.
Greens across the world supported this day of protest on 25th May 2013. Monsanto is a major risk to public
health and the environment. I took part in a protest at St. Enoch's Square in Glasgow.
This
biotech giant Monsanto and other powerful biotech companies and
agribusinesses are exploiting farmers and threatening traditional
farming communities. The biotech industry has grown into a
monopolistic cartel controlling more than half of the world's
commercial seed market. Monsanto has extended its power by
making small farmers dependent on Genetically
Modified Organism (GMO) seeds, through
patents and contracts.
Scotland Against Monsanto Stall at St. Enoch's Square
The
reckless introduction of genetically modified organisms into
agriculture is wreaking havoc with the environment. Scientists
have warned about serious environmental effects of GMO products,
including reduced biodiversity, contamination of non-GMO farms and
natural areas with GMO seeds and pesticides, loss of diverse
"heritage seeds" developed over thousands of years through
traditional agriculture, and collapse of bee populations around the
world because of neonicotinoids in agricultural
insecticides.
The
yielding crops pose health risks to people, well as livestock
and plant populations. GMO crop strains designed to resist Monsanto's
Round Up herbicide and GMO animal feed have
led to new and more virulent plant, animal, and human diseases.
We must hold Monsanto and its
executives accountable for the damage they're causing around the
world. On Monday, 27th May 2013, three
petitions relating to GMOs are going to be discussed in the Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament. Our Greens/EFA MEPs will be in the
Committee, defending the petitioner and
will remind all of the call for a moratorium on all GMO
authorisations while the scientific expertise on GMOs has not been
satisfactorily reshaped.
Useful Link:
For a GMO-Free Europe - http://gmo.greens-efa.eu/