This is a Call to Action for a Non-Hierarchical Occupation of Monsanto Everywhere
Whether you like it or not, chances are Monsanto contaminated the food you ate today with chemicals and unlabeled GMOs. Monsanto controls much of the world's food supply at the expense of food democracy worldwide. This site is dedicated to empowering citizens of the world to take action against Monsanto & it's enablers like the FDA, USDA, EPA, GMA, BIO, and the processed food companies that use Monsanto's products.
This article was Monday’s front page story in Metro Boston, a free daily newspaper. Was Metro Boston hoping for a riot? The impact of a demonstration is not about the number of people present, but the number of people reached by the message. Metro Boston missed the point that unlabeled GMOs are hazardous to our health, environment, and future generations.
Where have all the BIO protesters gone?
by MICHAEL NAUGHTON BOSTON Published: June 17, 2012 7:40 p.m.
An international biotechnology conference that once drew thousands of passionate protesters to Boston 12 years ago may only see a handful of chanters during a return visit to the Hub this week.
The four day BIO International Convention, a gathering of biotechnology leaders from around the world, kicks off today at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in South Boston. More than 16,000 people are expected to attend and contribute nearly $27 million to the local economy.
But, as they have in years past, those biotechnology industry leaders will be welcomed by a group of protesters who are planning a rally this morning for the start of the conference.
Groups who have expressed their support and plan to participate in the protest include Occupy Monsanto, the Northeast Organic Farming Association and Occupy Boston.
Rica Madrid, a member of Occupy Monsanto, said last week that she expected about 50 people to show up to the protest. As of yesterday afternoon, about 60 people were signed up on the group’s Facebook page to attend today.
“We really do hope it’s by the thousands, but to be realistic, I think a lot of people really do care, but conflicts are people’s families. And they don’t have a lot of time to come out to a demonstration on a Monday morning,” Madrid said.
She also said a problem to attracting people to the protest is the lack of knowledge about the group’s cause – genetically modified organisms in food.
The group hopes to force companies to label food that includes genetically engineered ingredients.
A Boston police spokesman said in an e-mail that police are aware the convention “may draw some opposition groups” and that the department has assigned additional resources.
Conference organizers said protesters will use a “First Amendment designated area” and that the safety and well-being of convention attendees and Hub citizens is top priority.
Occupy Monsanto’s “Michael Taylor Resign” protest outside of the Washington Convention Center, April 20, 2012
The biotechnology industry is having a convention June 18-21 in Boston, Massachusetts. In order to attend the sessions you must register for the conference, which costs thousands of dollars. Since we don’t want to give a dime to the biotech industry, Occupy Monsanto, Millions Against Monsanto, and other food democracy groups will be staging our own “Sidewalk Session” on the first day of the convention outside of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. We hope you can join us.
WHO: YOU WHAT: A Sidewalk Session – An open mic for activists to share & expose the dangers of the biotechnology industry WHERE: Sidewalk in front of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210 WHEN: Monday, June 18th, at 8am until 10am WHY: The biotechnology industry is conspiring to unleash more GMOs into the environment along with more toxic pesticides.
For over 20 years, Hawai’i has been the global center for the open-field testing of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), including pharmaceutical crops. Over 5,000 experimental tests have been conducted by Monsanto, Dow, Dupont/Pioneer, Syngenta and BASF that spray chemicals on an almost daily basis on our most valuable lands. They are supported by tax-breaks, and beneficial relationships with landowners, regulators and politicians. We estimate GMO companies own or lease 40,000 — 60,000 acres that are sprayed with over 70 different chemicals.
A new vision for Hawai’i would promote small farms that grow chemical-free produce, employ our youth and restore the indigenous ahupua’a system. Hawai’i has less than 3,000 acres of certified organic farmland, which is 0.27% of Hawaiian farmland.
Kamehameha Schools is Hawaii’s largest private landowner. Despite Kamehameha’s public statements about sustainability and conservation, they lease substantial amounts of land to multi-national biotech firms, including Monsanto, Dow, Dupont/Pioneer and Syngenta for GMO open field tests and seed corn production.
Kamehameha is the only institution with the land, capital and resources to reduce our food imports, that are now over 90%, and ensure that Hawai’i does not run out of food in case of natural disasters or rising oil prices.
Today during the Senate debate over amendments to the Farm Bill (S.3240), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) slammed Monsanto repeatedly during his remarks. Please click here to contact your Senators and tell’em to support the GMO labeling amendment.
SA 2256. Mr. SANDERS (for himself and Mrs. BOXER) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 3240, to reauthorize agricultural programs through 2017, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
This entry was supplied to Occupy Monsanto as a follow-up to last week’s action. If your organization has food democracy-related action in the works, please send details to incident@occupy-monsanto.com and we’ll do our best to post it here.
Coyote Jim Joins Picket Line
Whole Foods Rejects Dialog on GMO Safety
by Don Fitz
Drivers passing by the Brentwood, Missouri Whole Foods Market (WFM) on June 9 spied a 14 foot tall coyote puppet. Next to the puppet was a sign reading “Coyote Jim Says†followed by “GMOs Contaminate Food†and “Whole Foods Sells GMOs.â€
Twenty members of the Gateway Green Alliance (GGA) and Safe Food Action St. Louis (SFA), along with Occupy St. Louis supporters were reminding customers that higher prices at WFM do not necessarily buy better food. The action followed the refusal of WFM to discuss the safety of food it sells which contains GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
Many of the customers who stopped to talk were aware of health and environmental problems caused by GMOs and wanted to know how to avoid them. But they were mostly unaware of the large number of GMO products sold by WFM.
In April 2012 GGA and SFA presented WFM the results of a survey they did on attitudes toward food labeling by 315 participants in St. Louis. The poll found that 95% wanted labels on foods containing GMOs. If also showed that WFM customers were the least likely of five groups to be willing to serve GMOs. But, at the same time, they were the most likely to expect food at WFM to be free of GMO contamination.
Safe Food Action sent the April findings to WFM and asked management to contact them by May 14 to discuss the findings and recommendations. When WFM stonewalled them, the safe food advocates called a picket for June 9. (more…)
