Mexico/Chiapas: International Day of Action against Monsanto and transgenics

Día internacional contra Monsanto

On Saturday 25 May 2013, there was held the International Day of Action against Monsanto and transgenics and in favor of food sovereignty, with movilizations and rallies held in many countries, including different states and cities of Mexico.

Different environmental and social organizations called on the federal government to deny the transnational corporation Monsanto the right to grow transgenic maize in the country, after on 15 March this firm presented three applications to do so in “approximately 33 million hectares of the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango.

In San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, there was held a cultural act of protest in the Peace Plaza with an organic tianguis, local food, theatre, informational booths, and a Mayan altar.  Furthermore, there was music, and the event ended with a screening of the documentary “Transgenic maize in Mexico.”

Monsanto has existed for 112 years.  Located centrally in the U.S., it dominates 27% of the international market in seeds (both conventional and transgenic) and a full 86% of the transgenic market.  There were events held in more than 50 countries of the world against this corporation on this day.

For more information (in Spanish):

Ambientalistas rechazan la siembra de maíz transgénico, La Jornada, 26 de mayo de 2013

Marchan contra Monsanto y el maíz transgénico en el DF, Milenio, 25 de mayo de 2013

Unen voces en el mundo contra Monsanto, El Universal, 25 de mayo de 2013

Activistas se sumarán a marcha contra Monsanto, Cuarto Poder, 15 de mayo de 2013

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Popular Forum for the Defense of the Land, Territory, and Food Sovereignty (26 November 2012)

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