Washington, Montevideo, Paris — Today, the day that biotech giant Monsanto (NYSE: MON) releases its second quarter earnings, a new report by civil society organisations shows that around the world small-holder and organic farmers, local communities and social movements are increasingly resisting and rejecting Monsanto, and the agro-industrial model that it represents.
The new report, jointly produced by La Via Campesina, Friends of the Earth International and Combat Monsanto - available in English, French and Spanish [1] - provides snapshots of frontline struggles against Monsanto and other agrochemical corporations pushing genetically modified (GM) crops onto farmers and into the environment.
"This report demonstrates that the increasingly vocal objections from social movements and civil society organisations are having an impact on the introduction of GM crops." said Josie Riffaud from La Via Campesina.
The testimonies and analysis contained in this report aim to inspire and unite consumers, activists and communities against the abuses carried out by Monsanto and other biotech corporations around the world.
"Who will hold Monsanto responsible for the global depletion of biodiversity, soil erosion, and violations of peasant rights wrought by the application of petroleum-based inputs required by industrial agriculture?" asked Dena Hoff of the National Family Farm Coalition / La Via Campesina North America. "Farmers worldwide are resisting for food sovereignty, but the rest of the world must join us," she added.
"This new report documents the intense opposition to this powerful transnational company, which peddles its genetically modified products seemingly without regard for the associated social, economic and environmental costs," said Martin Drago, Friends of the Earth International's Food Sovereignty programme coordinator.
"The majority of Europe's public remains opposed to GM food production, and several countries in Europe now have national bans on Monsanto's MON810 maize and BASF's Amflora potatoes, despite the strong pressure of the biotech industry and of the European Commission to lift those moratoriums," said Héloise Claudon from Combat Monsanto.
The use of GM crops destroys essential crop diversity, homogenises food, and eradicates associated local knowledge and culture.
In this and other ways social inequality, poverty and the exploitation of natural resources are able to thrive within the global food system, which focuses on profit generation rather than sustainable food production and food sovereignty.
The combined area of all GM crops covers just 3% of agricultural land worldwide. 97% of agricultural land around the world remains GM-free.
GM crop cultivation is predominately limited to a few countries: 90% of GM crops are grown in the US, Brazil, Argentina, India and Canada. Almost 60% of GM crop field trials are carried out in the US.
The large majority of GM crops are grown for animal feed or agrofuels destined for rich nations rather than food for the poor and hungry.
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I think the opposite is true. Peopl are being scared by the activists but the majority of farmers using Gm crops are small farmers and farmers in more and more countries are using GM crops. Outside of the EU which has a non-science approach to ban Gm crops the crops are being used in Canada, Argentian, Brazil, S Africa, India and China as well as others part of Asia. Cotton yields have gone way up since Bt cotton was introduced. Activists have tried to say that it is causing farmes suicides but that is not true. The incidence of suicides has not changed and is not due to Bt crops. Those who try it know how goo dthey are and want more. The seed is size neutral - you don't need special equipment. It is disgracefull have people are maligning this valuable tool for farmers they should be ashamed of themselves but they are ill informed and follow the masses blindly into thinking something that has been already used for 15 years in the US without a single ---yes no single case of harm to anyone
BTW I was an organizer from Friends of the Earth probably before you were born (40 years ago) in the UK and I saw that in reality what the organization did was complain. They never really did anything useful and really made a contribution. Others struggled to make things better - make better medicines, better crops or reduce harmful chemicals and apply good ecological practices but FOE just complained and they are still at it. More worried about "corporations" that what they actually do. If it wasn't for corporations you would be able to read this blogg - think about that
FAO figures show that since the first commercial release of GM crops in 1996, the number of starving people in the world has climbed from 788 million to 1.02 billion. Just the same 4 crops – soy, corn, canola and cotton – with two traits – Roundup tolerance and in-built insect toxins - are commercially available now. The $45 billion spent on GM research and development so far was diverted from other more promising solutions and GM techniques cannot deliver on their promises.
UN special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, reported that: 'the world already produces enough food to feed every child, woman and man and could feed 12 billion people, or double the current world population.' Everyone could eat well if the available food were fairly distributed and not wasted, but global trade sends food to market where it is most profitable, and where geopolitics dictates.
In 2008 the World Bank and the UN published the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), a vision for future farming and secure food supplies. The 400 scientists involved in the three-year project recommended core changes in agricultural practices and systems to assuage soaring food prices, hunger, social inequities and environmental catastrophe. They proposed a global shift from oil-dependent industrial agribusiness to sustainable farming systems, with research and development to augment local traditional knowledge and help farmers optimise use of soil and water resources.
The IAASTD report also concluded that GM crops have no useful role to play in solving climate change, biodiversity loss, hunger or poverty. Fifty-eight countries adopted the IAASTD’s findings.