http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/france-bans-patented-monsanto-gmo-corn-as-sign-of-firm-opposition-to-modified-seeds
[Multiple links in on-line article]
Tuesday, 18 March 2014 08:28
France Bans Patented Monsanto GMO Corn as Sign of Firm Opposition to
Modified Seeds
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
In a firm act of defiance against the chemical companies turned "food
engineers," this past weekend France prohibited the MON 810 GMO corn
seed. According to Reuters:
The French government, which maintains that GM crops present
environmental risks, has been trying to institute a new ban on GM maize
(corn) after its highest court has twice previously struck down similar
measures.
The decision is timed to avert any sowing of GM maize by farmers before
a draft law is debated on April 10 aimed at banning planting of GMOs
(genetically modified organisms).
"The sale, use and cultivation of varieties of maize seed from the line
of genetically modified maize MON 810 (...) is banned in the country
until the adoption, on the one hand, of a final decision, and secondly,
of (EU) community action, " said a decree published on Saturday.
Annual sowing of maize in France gets under way in the second half of March.
As reported in a BuzzFlash at Truthout commentary from June of last year
entitled, "Protests Force Monsanto to Abandon GMO Expansion in Europe":
Confronted with ongoing protests and opposition from farmers, Monsanto
is abandoning efforts to get approval for new GMO seeds in the European
Union. In addition to boosting the morale of GMO opponents, the
Monsanto standdown was publicly admitted by the company. Most often
large corporations take a public relations stance that obfuscates
defeats by using euphemistic public relations language or diversionary
tactics.
According to CBS MarketWatch:
Monsanto doesn't plan to apply for the approval of new genetically
modified seeds in Europe due to low demand from farmers and stiff
opposition from the general public, the U.S. agricultural company's
German spokeswoman said Sunday.
"As long as there's not enough demand from farmers for these products
and the public at large doesn't accept the technology, it makes no sense
to fight against windmills," Ursula Luettmer-Ouazane said Sunday,
confirming a report in Berlin-based German daily TAZ newspaper.
Germany media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) added that the German
government has been vocal in its opposition to GMO seeds, as it details
in an article, entitled "Monsanto gives up fight for GM plants in Europe."
Indeed, shortly before the big GMO global corporations announced that
they were not seeking new EU GMO seed approval at that time, farmers in
Hungary had burned up large swaths GMO crop fields in protest. The
Hungarian farmers literally lit a fire of populist resistance.
The French ban is retroactive against a Monsanto patented seed that had
originally been approved in the nation.
Meanwhile, on the downside of developments, Monsanto, Dupont and Dow
Chemicals (a sinister partnership if there ever was one) reversed
themselves and sought European Union (EU) approval of a new GMO seed:
Pioneer 1507.
Although nineteen EU nations voted against approving Pioneer 1507 --
with five supporting the chemical company trio (and five abstentions) --
the GMO seed will probably be approved by the EU due to a weighted
voting system. (Individual countries could still ban GMO's per the EU
operational agreement among members.)
As a website, EurActive.com, covering EU news notes:
In Europe, consumer opposition is strong and environmentalists cite
scientific research that has highlighted the impact of a toxin released
by 1507 on butterflies and moths.
In contrast to France, the GMO global corporations are deeply ingrained
(so to speak) in the United States government, with Monsanto holding
more than one key position in Obama Administration policy-making
decisions, not to mention the domestic clout of DuPont and Dow Chemical.
One may have to move to France or Hungary if you want governments that
stand up to the bully companies that want to monopolize agricultural
with altered seeds.
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