Protesters across globe rally against Monsanto
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Protesters
rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed
giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces,
organizers said.
Organizers said "March Against
Monsanto" protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los
Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read "Real Food 4 Real People" and
"Label GMOs, It's Our Right to Know."
Genetically modified plants are
grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add
nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global
food supply.
Most corn, soybean and cotton
crops grown in the United States today have been genetically modified. But
critics say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions
and harm the environment. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention
in recent years, with health advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of
genetically modified products even though the federal government and many
scientists say the technology is safe.
The 'March Against Monsanto' movement began just a few months ago,
when founder and organizer Tami
Canal created a Facebook page on Feb. 28 calling for a rally against the
company's practices.
"If I had gotten 3,000 people to
join me, I would have considered that a success," she said Saturday. Instead,
she said an "incredible" number of people responded to her message and turned
out to rally.
"It was empowering and inspiring
to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences
and come together today," Canal said. The group plans to harness the success of
the event to continue its anti-GMO cause.
"We will continue until Monsanto
complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our
planet," she said. "If we don't act, who's going to?"
Monsanto Co., based in St.
Louis, said that it respects people's rights to express their opinion on the
topic, but maintains that its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers
produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water
and energy.
The Food
and Drug Administration does not require genetically modified foods to carry
a label, but organic food companies and some consumer groups have intensified
their push for labels, arguing that the modified seeds are floating from field
to field and contaminating traditional crops. The groups have been bolstered by
a growing network of consumers who are wary of processed and modified foods.
The U.S.
Senate this week overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would allow states to
require labeling of genetically modified foods.
The Biotechnology
Industry Organization, a lobbying group that represents Monsanto, DuPont
& Co. and other makers of genetically modified seeds, has said that it
supports voluntary labeling for people who seek out such products. But it says
that mandatory labeling would only mislead or confuse consumers into thinking
the products aren't safe, even though the FDA has said there's no difference
between GMO and organic, non-GMO foods.
However, state legislatures in
Vermont and Connecticut moved ahead this month with votes to make food companies
declare genetically modified ingredients on their packages. And supermarket
retailer Whole Foods Markets Inc. has said that all products in its North
American stores that contain genetically modified ingredients will be labeled as
such by 2018.
Whole Foods says there is
growing demand for products that don't use GMOs, with sales of products with a
"Non-GMO" verification label spiking between 15 percent and 30 percent.
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Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Protesters-across-globe-rally-against-Monsanto-4548549.php#ixzz2UMMhxHDr
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