Don’t eat your vegetables – Protesters
FOURWAYS- Protesters try to lynch multinational company 'selling' cancer during the March Against Monsonto.
A small group of protesters and activists gathered at Fourways Mall on 24 May in a bid to ‘expose’ the multinational Monsonto Company as counterproductive toward providing the world with chemical free crops.
The American company, with branches in South Africa, is one of the world leaders in providing vegetable and crop seeds, as well as glyphosate herbicides to farmers.
The company’s claim to fame came in the 80s when engineers successfully genetically modified plant cells.
Protesters believe this is the company’s biggest faux pass, as they allegedly continue to sell enhanced seeds with genetically modified organisms.
Three protesters said chemicals used were cancer causing, and was dangerous to the public.
“Farmers continuously support Monsonto because these crops are almost guaranteed to grow. There is little chance of them to lose money. It sickens me that farmers will do anything for cash, even let us die,” one woman said.
Organic farmer Malesela Kekane said Monsonto seeds are devious in that South African companies use crops grown from the seeds in pre-packaged foods.
Genetically modified organisms was also continuously used in foods sold by Woolworths he alleged.
There seems to be a lack of research from both sides on the issue. Very little documentation proving protesters allegations can be tracked down, and studies on the continued effect of consumption of crops grown from modified seeds are scarce.
Monsonto also seems to release very little info on the effects of genetically modified seeds.
The protests were held in over 50 countries.
Tami Monroe Canal, founder of March Against Monsanto (MAM), was inspired to start the movement to protect her two daughters. “Monsanto’s predatory business and corporate agricultural practices threatens their generation’s health, fertility and longevity. MAM supports a sustainable food production system. We must act now to stop GMOs and harmful pesticides,” she said in a press release ahead of the global protests.
MAM claims false promises from the company led to 250 000 Indian farmers committing suicide, due to crops not growing as promised. These claims have been debunked as myth – calling into question MAM’s ‘authority’ on properly researching their claims ahead of these massive protests.
