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Indybay Feature

Monsanto all around the world

by JankyHellface (repost)
Monsanto, the world most prominent biotech company is facing protests all over the world.
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Monsanto, the world most prominent biotech company is facing protests all over the world. Farmers' groups on Mindano Islands (Philipines) staged a "mock trial" that proclaimed agrochemical transnational giant Monsanto Corporation guilty of promoting deadly science and other "crimes" allegedly committed against the Filipino peasantry. (read more below).

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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