Monsanto all around the world
Menawhile in South Africa, the Environmental Justice Networking Forum held a demonstration against the lack of public access to information and the unwanted introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods into South Africa, and in support of Biowatch who has taken the South African Department of Agriculture and regulatory agencies to court to obtain information related to the permission for planting, growing and feeding of these crops to the public. The Department of Agriculture was joined by Monsanto, Delta and Pine Land and Stoneville Pedigreed Seed (another Monsanto spin-off, paying royalties to Monsanto) in opposing Biowatch’s action. Monsanto itself is responsible for over 90% of global GM plantings and has even greater presence here in South Africa, approaching 100%. (read more below).
In Canada, a long awaited court case concluded with the outragous decision affirming Monsanto’s right to prosecute farmers who are found to have GM crops growing on their land. The Supreme Court of Canada has announced their decision on Schmeiser's appeal by determining that Monsanto's patent is valid, but Schmeiser is not forced to pay Monsanto anything as he did not profit from the presence of RR canola in his fields. In this respect the outcome can be considered a draw, because Percy and Louise Schmeiser were about to loose their farm over this. (read more below)
[ QC Indymedia | MASIPAG | SEARICE || Indymedia South Africa | Biowatch || Vancouver IMC | Percy Schmeiser | ETC Group || Biotech Indymedia]
Philipines
South Cotabato, Mindanao
Island: -- Farmers' groups staged a "mock trial" here that proclaimed
agrochemical transnational giant Monsanto Corporation guilty of promoting deadly science and other "crimes" allegedly committed against the Filipino peasantry.
The protest action, joined by 2,000 people, was organized by the Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura
(Masipag or Peasant-Scientist Partnership for Agricultural
Development), a group advocating sustainable agriculture, together with
the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Socsksargen chapter
and the rural NGO South East Asia Regional Initiatives for Community
Empowerment or SEARICE. They will also reveal the farmer's testimonies.
In a statement, Masipag said they will intensify the boycott campaign against Monsanto even as the Philippine government did not welcome the independent study conducted by Norwegian scientist Dr. Terje Traavik reporting the possible link of Bt-corn fields to the disease outbreak involving 50 farmers from Sityo Kalyong, Polomolok town, South Cotabato. They also urged farmers to combat the perils of globalization by adopting alternative farming systems.
South Africa
The
Environmental Justice Networking Forum (Western Cape Branch), a
broad-based NGO coalition representing over 60 local NGOs and CBOs,
together with representatives of labour and faith based organisations
held a demonstration here on Wednesday 26 May against the lack of
public access to information and the unwanted introduction of
genetically modified (GM) foods into South Africa.
The
demonstration was in support of the NGO Biowatch, a specialist
biodiversity and biosafety organisation, which has taken the Department
of Agriculture and regulatory agencies to court to obtain information
related to the permission for planting, growing and feeding of these
crops to the public. The Department of Agriculture was joined by
Monsanto, Delta and Pine Land (a company with a close relationship with
Monsanto and also a company that co-owns the “terminator technology”,
that makes seeds sterile; for more on this partnership, visit
http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/news/10057.htm) and Stoneville
Pedigreed Seed (another Monsanto spin-off, paying royalties to
Monsanto) in opposing Biowatch’s action. Monsanto itself is responsible
for over 90% of global GM plantings and has even greater presence here
in South Africa, approaching 100%.
The Biowatch court case
concluded on Tuesday 25 May and by all accounts, the case put forward
by both the Dept. of Agriculture and the seed and chemical companies
defending their right to secrecy was poor. Legal representatives said
the Department had its hands full dealing with applications and simply
did not have the staff to supply the information to the pubic, as
Biowatch insisted. This pathetic justification demonstrates the skewed
priorities of the Dept. of Agriculture. Monsanto made its usual
logic-defying plea of commercial confidentiality; safety testing
clearly has nothing at all to do with the sharing of proprietary
information. (read more)
Canada: Monsanto vs. Schmeiser
Percy Schmeiser concludes:
"I believe that Monsanto will have a hard time in pursuing patent
infringement against other farmers. They are now going to have to prove
that a farmer profited from having RR canola in their field. The Court
noted that my profits were the same whether I had conventional canola
or RR canola, so I find it hard to see how Monsanto can say in any
future case that the farmer made more money because of their product.
This decision may have removed the "teeth" from their patent.
I also
believe that Monsanto will face huge liability issues down the road.
The Court determined that they have ownership to the plant and that I
infringed by having it in my field. With ownership comes responsibility
and I assume more lawsuits will be filed against them for the
contamination of farmer's fields." (read more below)
ETC group started a letter writing campaign,
stating: "Saskatchewan farmers Percy and Louise Schmeiser fought
Monsanto all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court when the Gene Giant
accused them of violating Monsanto's patent on GM canola (oilseed
rape). Percy and Louise did not want GM seeds on their property and
they did not try to benefit from the herbicide-tolerant trait in the GM
seed (that is, they didn't spray Roundup weedkiller). Yet, Monsanto
came onto their land without permission, dug around to establish that
GM canola had contaminated the Schmeisers' farm, and then blamed the
family for the company's failure to control its own technology. GM
canola pollen has been shown to travel as much as 26 kilometers (16.2
miles). Monsanto has been selling GM canola since 1996. Canola seed can
survive in the soil for eight or more years. GM contamination can
spread from fields to boulevards to cemeteries and home gardens. With
the help of prairie winds and bees, GM seed planted in a field eight
years ago could have hitchhiked more than 208 km. Today, GM canola is a
major weed pest on the Canadian prairies. Monsanto thinks that if you
have their GM seeds on your farm or in your flowerpot and you haven't
told them or signed a “technology user agreement,” you are violating
their patent."
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