Food security increasingly under threat
KZN's rural farming communities once again joined in the annual March Against Monsanto.
THE number of people waging war against multi-national corporations responsible for the increase in genetically modified (GM) crops in South Africa and around the world is growing, as was evident in the increase in participants of this year’s March Against Monsanto.
Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, Dow Agroscience and DuPont Pioneer are among the multi-national, multi-billion dollar corporations on anti-GMO activists’ hit lists, who say these corporations are responsible for the globally damaging industrial agriculture system, which is the biggest cause of climate change.
Initiated in 2013 by one young American mother whose goal was to force such companies to label GM foods, this year’s March Against Monsanto saw thousands of people in 428 cities and 38 countries take to the streets.
Under the auspices of BioWatch South Africa, rural Zululanders of Ingwavuma, Pongola and Mtubatuba, concerned about the looming threat to food security, also took to the streets and marched against Monsanto.
Predominantly women, the rural farmers have been trained by BioWatch in the importance of seed saving, have been taught how to make ‘door size’ vegetable gardens, have been helped with a market to sell their vegetables, and are passing their skills on to others in their communities.
Food security is a real threat for rural farmers, as, when using GM crops, they are forced to use pesticides manufactured by the same companies and are forced to purchase, sometimes at astronomical prices, new seeds every season as GM seeds cannot reproduce.
About Monsanto
Monsanto is a multi-national company based in Missouri, USA.
Established in 1901 to manufacture the sweetener used in Coca-Cola, Monsanto soon diversified into other chemicals, including the deadly Agent Orange and DDT.
It entered South Africa’s seed market in 1998 and now controls half our country’s seed market.
Monsanto’s patented GM traits are found in all but one of the GM maize varieties permitted in South Africa and it owns more than half of South Africa’s wheat varieties.
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