On Saturday, protests loosely dubbed as "March Against Monsanto" were held in 250 cities in over 36 countries. The outrage is directed towards genetically modified foods and Monsanto, which produces genetically engineered seeds and crops.
The flames of anger were fanned last March when U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 933, primarily a legislation that will prevent the shutdown of the federal government by providing funds to different agencies and departments to last until the end of the fiscal year.
"Monsanto Protection Act"
Public safety and health advocates are furious with the enactment of the new law that contains a certain Section 735 or what is known as Farmer Assurance Provision, an inclusion that they consider to favor the St. Louis-based Monsanto company and other producers of genetically engineered seeds and crops or genetically modified organisms (GMO).
Signatures were gathered by advocacy groups such as Food Democracy Now and protests were organized in front of the White House calling for Obama reconsider the "Monsanto Protection Act."
A lot of citizens were angered by the new law because it basically makes federal courts powerless against any planting or sale of GMOs even when there is a possibility that adverse health consequences may arise in the future due to consumption of such products.
"This provision is simply an industry ploy to continue to sell genetically engineered seeds even when a court of law has found they were approved by USDA illegally.It is unnecessary and an unprecedented attack on U.S. judicial review. Congress should not be meddling with the judicial review process based solely on the special interest of a handful of companies," a petition stated.
A Dangerous Company
Millions of protesters from 47 states in the U.S. and other cities across the globe think Monsanto is a dangerous company and should be stopped. A report on The Guardian Express summarizes their reasons:
> Monsanto Company has been in existence since 1901 and since then has produced dioxin, PCBs, and other dangerous chemicals. It is behind herbicides like Agent Orange that killed or caused problems to more than 500,000 people in Vietnam. The chemicals they produce are known agents that lead to cancer, autism, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
> Monsanto is allegedly aiming to monopolize farming citing a case of a farmer named Vernon Hugh Bowman who was sued for planting "second generation" seeds. The farmer was asked to settle $85,000-worth of damages. Other farmers also experienced the same.
> By 2012, the company has doubled its projected profits to roughly $2.94 billion.
Protesters are also accusing the company for trying to control areas with potable water. The company is believed to own about five percent of fresh water resources and if this continues, it may make free water less available by 2030.
Monsanto, people claim, is posing a threat to sustainable agriculture, though it aids in food production.
However, Monsanto is confident that the government will continue supporting its cause. "As we understand it, the point of the Farmer Assurance Provision is to strike a careful balance allowing farmers to continue to plant and cultivate their crops subject to appropriate environmental safeguards, while USDA conducts any necessary further environmental reviews," a Monsanto statement said with regard to the enacted bill.
