Monsanto Concedes Defeat in the Face of Europe’s Fierce Opposition to GMOs

by Daisy Luther

North America needs to take note: Europe has defeated the biotech giant by refusing to be contaminated with Monsanto’s GMO offerings and toxic farming methods.

Monsanto announced that they will no longer continue to lobby for approval of its genetically modified seeds in Europe due to “low farmer demand.”

Monsanto Germany’s spokeswoman, Ursula Luttmer-Ouazane, said, “We’ve understood that such plants don’t have any broad acceptance in European societies. It is counterproductive to fight against windmills.”

So why, despite massive protests from anti-GMO activists in the US and Canada, has Monsanto been able to keep a foothold in North America?

One big difference: the government here allows Monsanto to do anything they want, right up to composing their own protection acts. There is a well-known revolving door between Monsanto, the judicial branch, the legislative branch, and Obama’s various nominees.

Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Luxembourg, on the other hand, placed an outright ban called the “Safeguard Clause” on banned Monsanto’s MON810 maize and other forms of GMO cultivation.

Fierce opposition in Europe has also caused other biotech companies like Bayer CropScience, BASF and Syngenta, to take their toxic products and leave, too.

Over 2 million protesters worldwide joined in the March Against Monsanto last Saturday. It’s clear that some governments are listening to those who elected them.

Perhaps some of the pressure here needs to be diverted to the elected officials and the agencies that are allowing Monsanto to go about their toxic business unchecked. Maybe the next marches need to take place against agencies like the USDA and the FDA – those who have been charged with the responsibility of consumer safety and have blatantly sold out to Big Agri and the biotech industries.

While organic growers, small farms, and heritage seed companies are being regulated right out of business, Monsanto and their ilk have free reign to lay siege to our fields with chemical warfare.

Let’s follow in the footsteps of Europe – it is not reasonable to expect the creators of Roundup and Agent Orange to do the right thing. We must insist that those entrusted with food and environmental safety do their jobs and begin making things less hospitable for the greedy corporations, and if they do not, we must hold them personally accountable.

Source:
http://rt.com/news/monsanto-stop-lobbying-eu-084/

Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]