Worldwide "March Against Monsanto" Held May 24th
This Saturday, Monsanto protestors will rally in New York City's Union Square Park, against the massive international agricultural and chemical biotechnology company, that controls the world's food chain. Global protests have been organized on May 24th, to demand knowledge of what is contained in the foods we consume. New Greek TV's coverage can be viewed below and at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OstUy8od-WA&list=UUo_m2iP9pkJlp7rVxntBXWA.
Environmental scientist Maria Haralampopoulos published the following document, regarding the extreme hazards of Monsato's power over the universal food industry, and the international protests scheduled for Saturday.
Citizens of the World "March Against Monsanto" on
Saturday, May 24th, 2014
On May 24, 2014 activists and concerned citizens from all over the world will join forces and march in protest against Monsanto, the mega global chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation which is believed to have a monopoly over the world's food supply with little or no government regulation. The first rally against Monsanto took place just a year ago, on May 25th, 2013 in response to the defeat of California Proposition 37, which would have required the labeling of genetically modified foods (GM). Frustrated citizens took to the streets in protest in 52 countries and 436 cities, demanding that it is their "right to know" what is in their food. (1) A much larger turnout is expected this year.
Many first heard of Monsanto in Food Inc., the widely viewed 2008 documentary that shed light on the American food industry. With horror, many discovered the control that Monsanto has over the supply of the earth's seeds. The documentary revealed bully tactics used by Monsanto against farmers forcing them to use their GM seeds as well as their infiltration into high levels of our government.
Monsanto is the creator of as well as the leading producer of GM foods since the 1980s. (2) Given that GM foods are so recent and no long-term studies have been conducted, many worry about the long-term effects they may have on human health as well as on the environment. Monsanto's GM seeds account for 80 percent of the corn and 93 percent of the soybeans grown in the U.S., as well as 60-70% of all processed foods. (3) Currently, there are no laws that require the labeling of GM foods in the United States.
Monsanto is also the creator of the insecticide DDT, PCBs, and Agent Orange, which have all been found to persist in the environment long after their initial use, as well as the herbicide Roundup and the bovine growth hormone, which is used to increase milk production in cows. Many blame the GM foods and insecticides produced by Monsanto for the alarming rates of bees disappearing globally. This phenomenon is also known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). "Of 100 crop species that provide 90% of our global food supply, 71% are bee-pollinated." (4) In 2011, many where shocked when Monsanto purchased Beelogics. Beelogics was the largest independent research company, which led the research on CCD and the disappearance of the bees.
In NYC, thousands are expected to rally at Union Square Park and across other cities in the US and around the world. Issues that concerned citizens will be marching for include mandatory food labeling as well as the basic right to know what is in your food. For more information about a rally in your area go to http://www.march-against-monsanto.com
(1) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/05/25/global-protests-monsanto/2361007/
(2) http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/monsanto-history.aspx
(3) http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/want-to-know-if-your-food-is-genetically-modified/370812/
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/opinion/spivak-loss-of-bees/
