Highest Guatemalan Court Refuses US-Supported Monsanto Law, Charges

[F.I.S.T.]

Highest Guatemalan Court Refuses US-Supported Monsanto Law, Charges Fines for Growing GMO
by Christina Sarich
Posted on September 8, 2014

The United States used to stand for something – back when it was a republic, at least. But presently, the centralized U.S. government has been forcing GMO trade agreements on South American and other countries.(http://www.bilaterals.org/?guatemalan-court-suspends-monsanto) It’s a good thing that the highest court in Guatemala has suspended the insane ‘Monsanto Law,’ part of a trade agreement that insulates transnational seed corporations, communicating clearly to Monsanto and the governments who have sold out to this behemoth that they’ve had enough toxic genetically modified food.

Should Guatemala or any other nation have to listen to the demands of the U.S. by honoring their trade agreement laws? Big Ag and Big Biotech would severely threaten international food sovereignty. More than 40 countries have already realized this possibility, banning GMO crops. GE-Feee zones abound in the world, just not on American soil – YET.

The food and agricultural practices, especially of indigenous people, are threatened by biotech seed monopolies, patents, and the cross-pollination of heirloom seed varieties that have been cultivated for thousands of years. Seed varieties not cultivated with biotech technologies which alter DNA (and are harmful), but rather by cross-breeding as mother nature does with sexually compatible plants – NOT say, a frog and a potato or a corn plant and BT toxins..

Guatemala will refuse the ‘Law for the Protection of New Plant Varieties,’ dubbed the ‘Monsanto Law’ by critics for its formidable seed-privatization provisions, as an obligation for all nations that signed the 2005 CAFTA-DR free trade agreement between Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

LEAKED: U.S. to Start ‘Trade Wars’ with Nations Opposed to Monsanto, GM Crops (http://naturalsociety.com/us-start-trade-wars-with-nations-opposed-to-monsanto-gmo-crops/)

It requires signatories to adhere to the International Convention for the Protection of New Plant Varieties, giving producers of transgenic (GM) seeds, often lying corporations like Monsanto, strict property rights in the event of possession or exchange of the original or harvested seeds.(http://www.upov.int/portal/index.html.en)

They have essentially tried to patent mother nature, and make farmers completely reliant on their GM varieties like a crack addict on cocaine. And while sales for both glyphosate and GM seeds meant to withstand this toxic brew are up, more and more farmers are realizing the claims made by the biotech industry are patently false.

Suspending the controversial ‘Monsanto Law,’ an included provision of a US-Central American trade agreement, is Guatemala’s way of saying ‘NO WAY’ to biotech and its bought-out politicians.

It goes into effect on September 26 – following the filing of a writ of amparo by the Guatemalan Union along with the Indigenous and Peasant Movement, which argued the law would harm the nation. Indeed.

The Court’s choice to suspend the trade agreement followed opposition from several Guatemalan parliamentarians from both the governing Patriotic Party and the Renewed Democratic Freedom party which said they would consider repealing the law after an outcry from a diverse cross-section of Guatemalans.

Within this law protecting Monsanto and other biotech companies, it was written – a breeder’s right extends to “varieties essentially derived from the protected variety,” thus, a hybrid of a protected and unprotected seed belongs to the protected seed’s producer.

The Rural Studies Collective (Cer-Ixim) warned that the law would monopolize agriculture processes, severely threaten food sovereignty – especially those of indigenous peoples – and would sacrifice national biodiversity “under the control of domestic and foreign companies.”

Read: Could Trade Agreements Whittle Away Europe’s GMO Regulations? (http://naturalsociety.com/could-trade-agreement-whittle-away-europes-gmo-regulations/)

The National Alliance for Biodiversity Protection argued that the law is unconstitutional “because it violates the rights of peoples. It will benefit transnational seed companies such as Monsanto, Duwest, Dupont, Syngenta, etc.”

“According to this law, the rights of plant breeders are superior to the rights of peoples to freely use seeds,” the Alliance said in a statement.(http://millonescontramonsanto.org/la-alianza-nacional-para-la-proteccion-de-la-biodiversidad-ante-la-aprobacion-de-la-ley-monsanto-en-guatemala/)

The best part? Anyone who violates the law, wittingly or not, could face a prison term of one to four years, and fines of US $130 to $1,300.

Though the U.S. could drop Guatemala from its trade for this action, it would be a small price to pay to protect food sovereignty.

 

[F.I.S.T.]

Experts Ask World to Help Ban Monsanto’s Cancer-Linked Glyphosate
by Christina Sarich
Posted on April 26, 2015


A key to collectively protect the planet.

In an open letter to China, ten European non-profit groups have asked the Chinese people to take action to help clean up the world food supply which has been contaminated with Round Up and glyphosate chemicals.(http://www.gmfreecymru.org/open_letters/Open_letter24April2015.html)

The action was inspired by the recent World Health Organization Cancer Panel that declared glyphosate as a “probable carcinogen” for humans. The letter was written to the Chinese Embassy, and addressed to the Chinese people because the country is the world’s largest producer of glyphosate (even though it is largely sprayed on crops in the US and elsewhere.) China is also the world’s largest importer of Round-up Ready GMO soy.

GM soy has been found to contaminate the entire food chain with traces of glyphosate, from the plant, to the animal who feeds on it, all the way to human embryos. Glyphosate traces have even been found in our blood, urine, and mother’s breast milk.(http://naturalsociety.com/3-studies-proving-toxic-glyphosate-found-urine-blood-even-breast-milk/)

In the open letter, the NGOs refer to this recent statement by the Argentinian Federation of Health Professionals which represents 30,000 members:

“Glyphosate not only causes cancer. It is also associated with increased spontaneous abortions, birth defects, skin diseases, and respiratory and neurological disease.”

The doctors of Argentina who have accumulated first-hand experience over many years of glyphosate causing disease made this declaration. This, in part, is what has driven the ban on glyphosate in their country.

Other countries are eager to ban glyphosate as well especially where the chemical is used as a pre-harvest dessicant on grain and other crops.

Furthermore, the NGOs attest that the original consent to use glyphosate was given by country’s who were either ill-informed of the toxic effects, or who were subjects of scientific fraud.

They point out that the safety research reports on glyphosate (Roundup) are impossible for independent experts to scrutinize because Monsanto has asked for them all to be treated as trade secrets.(http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-hides-toxicity-test-results-roundup-calling-commercial-secret/)

Chinese authorities are now asked to pressure Monsanto to give access to these studies, some of which are more than 35 years old but which contain evidence of malignant tumours among test animals given small quantities of glyphosate in their food supplies.

Those who have signed the open letter are asking the Chinese government to stop the production and sale of glyphosate (Round Up) without delay, and to freeze the imports of Roundup Ready food products from the United States, Argentina, and Brazil.

Additionally, they call for glyphosate testing (for example, in human urine and breast milk) and an epidemiological study designed to test the impact of glyphosate/Roundup on human health.

Speaking on behalf of the signatories, Dr Brian John said:

“We believe that we are acting here on behalf of the citizens of Europe, who have grave concerns about GMOs and the chemicals that go with them into the food chain. We have been convinced for years of the growing negative impact of glyphosate/Roundup on public health, and there is constant pressure on both sides of the Atlantic for these lethal chemicals to be taken off the market.

However, there are many political and commercial obstacles to change; and this is why we are appealing to one of the largest economies in the world to kick-start the process of cleaning up the global food supply system and protecting the health of the people of the planet.”

Speaking for the group “Beyond GM” Pat Thomas added:

“We’ve spent far too long pretending that GMOs are somebody else’s problem; that in the EU we are somehow protected or immune from their damaging effects. GMOs are a worldwide problem – a growing and global threat to health, environment and food security and we need those in power to heed years of accumulated and alarming evidence and act responsibly to solve the problem.

We cannot rely on America, which has for too long acted as the de facto marketing arm of the biotech industry, to act responsibly. But, as one of largest economies in the world, China has the power to change the game and to act as if the future matters.”