Rally: Farmers and Shoppers World-Wide say No ! Monsanto !

WHEN: 7 am on Thursday 18th February

WHERE : Hilton on the Park, 192 Wellington Parade East Melbourne (near Fitzroy Gardens)

Monsanto spokesperson Peter O'Keeffe will address the Rural Press Club at the "Hilton on the Park" promoting farmers' "choice" to grow their GM canola and Monsanto's role in the future of agriculture. MADGE is going to rally outside to say NO! Monsanto!

Monsanto is the owner of patented GM canola that has been planted in Victoria and NSW. GM canola is spreading already and contaminating paddocks and plates, creating profits for Monsanto but removing the choice to farm and eat GM free.

Canola oil is used in many foods on supermarket shelves, but we won't know if it's GM or contaminated because it isn't labelled. Monsanto's other GM products such as soy, corn and cottonseed oil are unlabelled in an estimated 70% of the foods on supermarket shelves.

This company now owns about 90% of GM seed and 22% of all commercial seed worldwide. This year Monsanto was rated LAST again in an ethical rating of 581 multinationals.

In 2005 Monsanto was fined $US1.5 million for bribery over GM cotton approval in Indonesia. In 2009 France's highest court found Monsanto guilty of lying over the safety of its weed killer, Roundup. Last week India put a moratorium on growing Monsanto's GM eggplant after massive public protest and allegations of corruption in its approval.

The use of Monsanto's GM crops in South America is causing the eviction of farming families. Widespread use of weedkillers associated with GM crops have been linked to an increase in cancers and birth defects.

We do not want our food, or the world's SEED SUPPLIES, in the control of this Company.

Join us in saying "No! Monsanto!" at a GM free breakfast rally with speakers and debate.

Rally sponsors: MADGE info@madge.org.au LASNET lasnet@latinlasnet.org GENE ETHICS info@geneethics.org FOE MELBOURNE realfood@melbourne.foe.org.au

 

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