Originally published June 4 2013
Hundreds of thousands of people in more than 50 countries rallied against Monsanto, GMOs
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Though the mainstream media was nowhere to be found in covering it, the largest ever global protest against genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) took place on May 25, 2013, in at least 52 countries and 436 major cities worldwide. The protest, which was initiated as part of the grassroots March Against Monsanto movement and included more than two million marchers, marks a tipping point in the debate over GMOs, and particularly their unlabeled presence in the food supplies of many countries, including in the U.S.
Signs reading "Hell No GMO" and "Leave Our Food Alone," among many others, could be seen perched above the crowds in not only prominent cities like New York, Tokyo, and Berlin, but also in many smaller cities like Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Des Moines, Iowa. All around the world, people concerned about the environmental and health dangers of GMOs, not to mention Monsanto's aggressive monopoly on the technology, took to the streets to raise awareness about the issue and push for change.
"What we're trying to do is bring awareness about GMOs and the health effects that they're causing and bring about some solutions about what people can do to take back their food supply," said Nick Bernabe, Director of March Against Monsanto, just prior to the march. "They're expecting more than 15,000 people in San Francisco alone ... We want to get people working together in their communities."
And this is exactly what happened that day, when folks from all walks of life and from all political persuasions joined together to fight back against the biotechnology machine, which continues to unleash untested transgenic materials into the various food supplies of the world. Monsanto, the world's largest purveyor of GMOs, continues to target not only the U.S. but also the developing world with its "Frankencrops," which are increasingly being shown to cause major health issues in humans and widespread environmental destruction.
Monsanto's monopolistic business model built entirely on deception and lies
Then, there is the issue of Monsanto essentially tricking farmers into adopting its technology with promises of higher yields and more profits, only to lock these farmers into an endless cycle of dependency on its patented inputs. This predatory and flat-out evil method of marketing has led to tens of thousands of farmer suicides in places like India, where countless farming families have been robbed by Monsanto of their farms and livelihoods due to binding user agreements and crop failures.
"Simply using seed with patented genetics - especially widely planted genetically engineered varieties, such as Roundup Ready soybeans - enters the user into a restrictive licensing agreement," explains a recent editorial in Salon. "Farmers sign these agreements at the time of sale, which includes a prohibition on planting more than one crop. The seed packaging also states that simply opening the bag binds the user to the agreement."
Efforts to label GMOs and increase transparency have also been problematic, particularly in North America where Monsanto and the rest of the biotechnology ilk hold extreme influence on the U.S. government. Even though more than 90 percent of Americans in multiple polls over the years have indicated support for GMO labeling, Monsanto and its lackeys have blocked all labeling efforts thus far, including Proposition 37 in California.
"We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand," said one March Against Monsanto rally organizer about the global efforts. "They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet. If we don't act, who's going to?"
Sources for this article include:
http://www.syracuse.com
http://www.salon.com
http://www.usatoday.com
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