A  worldwide grassroots group March Against Monsanto has inspired a broad coalition of individuals and groups to gather in cities and towns all over the world as part of a global effort to raise public awareness and bring increasing political pressure to bear regarding Monsanto’s corporate farming and business practices and to insist upon labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). The Northwest Florida region wide rally will take place on May 23, at the Panama City Bridge from 9 to 11a.m., on Miracle Strip Parkway, in front of Synergy Organic Cafe and Juice Bar from noon to 2 p.m., and on Airport Road,  in front of the Fresh Market parking lot from 3 to 5 p.m. 

An estimated 428 cities in 38 countries on six continents will be participating in the Global March Against Monsanto for a peaceful, non-violent, informational protest. GMOs have been banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, France and Switzerland.

Monsanto and other companies such as Dow and Syngenta genetically engineered food that poses scientifically established health risks that include organ damage, sterility, infant mortality, birth defects, immune reactions, allergies and increased cancer risk.

Marcher’s demands include solidarity against Monsanto predatory business and agricultural practices, rejecting "substantial equivalence" of GMO and traditional crops, independent scientific testing of GMO crops, promoting organic solutions, exposing the cronyism between big business and the government, addressing poverty, the real cause of global hunger, supporting food and seed sovereignty, supporting local farms, bees and biodiversity and labeling of all foods that contain GMOs.

Long-time activist and member of the Gateway Greens, Daniel Romano warns, “Monsanto is bankrupting famers and causing soil infertility, mono-cropping, loss of biodiversity and beehive collapse. Their practices pose a very real threat to organic farming and loss of native plants and are creating dependency on a centralized food system. In aggregate, this is a recipe for global famine.” 

An Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) (see i-sis.org.uk/list.php), signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, details their concern regarding GMOs and a call for immediate five-year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct “a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all.”

 

For updates, visit March Against Monsanto NW Florida, Panama City to Pensacola on Facebook. For more information, visit March-Against-Monsanto.com.