Below are four examples of how a currently topical and contentious subject is being perceived and dealt with by separate nations within a globalised economy, the global capitalist economy. This economy demands that business of all kinds should be free to function and garner profit unhindered from all corners of the world and that this profit shall accrue to the owners and investors, not to those directly affected on the ground by those business activities.
Now whilst these four examples show the reactions by governments, presidents, health experts, scientists and public prosecutor what isn't highlighted (except in eg1.) are the concerns and wishes of the populations. Public consultation gets sidelined or ignored, the public are generally the last to have their say, revealing a huge deficit of democracy in countries which preach their democratic credentials loudly whilst in reality seeking to protect their own market interests above the interests of the overall population.
Socialism is global democracy. A world without borders, markets or national interests. A world without money where decisions can be made in the best interests of people, both locally and globally without hindrance from vested interests. JS
1) Santiago, Chile
This month, rural women, indigenous communities, and farmers in Chile found themselves on the winning end of a long-fought battle against a bill that had come to be known by many in this country as simply, the “Monsanto Law.”
The bill, which would have given multinational agribusiness corporations the right to patent seeds they discover, develop or modify, was withdrawn by the Chilean government now controlled by newly elected members of the center-left coalition known as the New Majority, amid concerns that the law would bring harm to the country’s small and mid-sized farmers.
In making the announcement on March 17, new Secretary General Ximena Rincón pledged that the Chilean government will “analyze all that is known in our country and internationally about this issue in order to protect the rights of agricultural communities, small and medium-sized farmers, and the heritage of seeds in our country.”
“The corporate lobby is large and powerful and they will try to reintroduce the bill,” Rodriguez warns. Corporate stakeholders who seek to privatize seeds and facilitate the spread of GMO crops around the world face widespread resistance in Chile but continue to have the upper hand in terms of political power and wealth.
from here
2) Russia
Russia must protect its citizens from the use of foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and this can be done in compliance with the country’s obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO), Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Thursday.
He stressed that the market and citizens should be protected from substandard products. The consumption of these products continues until people see the consequences.
“We can do it, should do it and will do it. It is not so long ago that this was discussed at the meeting of the Security Council. We must act carefully to avoid prejudice to our obligations under the WTO, but it can be done,” echoed the President , noting that scientific and laboratory research should not be forgotten. Meanwhile, Putin went on, that control is needed of the use of GMOs and ”we can’t even 100% say how much goes into our market currently .”
“This is what we will do with the public, with experts , with senators , we will move in the direction of protecting our citizens,” the President of the Russian Federation said.
During the meeting, one of the senators noted that to date sales of GM seeds worldwide has totalled about $ 50 billion. “And the main owner of the rights to GMOs – the United States,” – he said. The Senator asked the president to take control of this problem, recalling that there was a bill to ban the import of GMOs.
from here
3) Brazil
The Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor in the Federal District has
requested the Justice Department to suspend the use of glyphosate – the
most widely used herbicide in Brazil. In addition, the prosecutor wants
to challenge 2,4-D and the active ingredients methyl parathion,
lactofem, phorate, carbofuran, abamectin, tiram and paraquat.
Two actions have been filed. “The first measure seeks to compel the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) to reevaluate the toxicity of eight active ingredients suspected of causing damage to human health and the environment. On another front, the agency questions the registration of pesticides containing 2,4-D herbicide, applied to combat broadleaf weeds,” explains the prosecutor on his website. The two actions request a preliminary injunction whereby the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) would suspend the registration of the products until a final conclusion about their toxicity is reached by ANVISA.
In the civil lawsuit contesting the registration of the herbicide 2,4-D, the prosecutor asks that the National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) is prohibited from releasing the commercialization of transgenic seeds resistant to these herbicides pending a final position by ANVISA.
This news comes as another huge blow to the biotech industry, following as it does last week’s ruling by Brazil’s Federal Appeals Court that unanimously decided to cancel the release for cultivation of Bayer’s Liberty Link GM Maize.
from here
4)Sri Lanka
Dr Jayasumana recently released a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that proposes a link between the world’s number one selling herbicide known as Roundup (aka Glyphosate) and a series of mysterious epidemics of fatal chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) affecting several poor farming regions around the world.In Sri Lanka alone CKDu now afflicts 15% of people of working age in the Northern part of the country; a total of 400,000 patients with an estimated death toll of around 20,000.
11 countries on 3 continents are affected.
Sri Lanka – North Central, North Western Eastern and Uva provinces in Sri Lanka
India – Andra, Orissa (Odesha) provinces
Pacific coast of Central America- El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Southern Mexico.
Africa – Egypt, El Minia Governoate, Upper Egypt, Tunisia
Vietnam- Mekong river basin
This is a disease of poor farmers: a disease of rural villagers in Asian, African and Latin American countries. This is not a disease of the Western World. Hence, a low visibility in print and electronic media. Also there is emerging evidence that the disease is linked to agrochemicals produced by multinationals. They want to hide the link, promote other theories, and undermine the severity of the disease.
Two actions have been filed. “The first measure seeks to compel the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) to reevaluate the toxicity of eight active ingredients suspected of causing damage to human health and the environment. On another front, the agency questions the registration of pesticides containing 2,4-D herbicide, applied to combat broadleaf weeds,” explains the prosecutor on his website. The two actions request a preliminary injunction whereby the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) would suspend the registration of the products until a final conclusion about their toxicity is reached by ANVISA.
In the civil lawsuit contesting the registration of the herbicide 2,4-D, the prosecutor asks that the National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) is prohibited from releasing the commercialization of transgenic seeds resistant to these herbicides pending a final position by ANVISA.
This news comes as another huge blow to the biotech industry, following as it does last week’s ruling by Brazil’s Federal Appeals Court that unanimously decided to cancel the release for cultivation of Bayer’s Liberty Link GM Maize.
from here
4)Sri Lanka
Dr Jayasumana recently released a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that proposes a link between the world’s number one selling herbicide known as Roundup (aka Glyphosate) and a series of mysterious epidemics of fatal chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) affecting several poor farming regions around the world.In Sri Lanka alone CKDu now afflicts 15% of people of working age in the Northern part of the country; a total of 400,000 patients with an estimated death toll of around 20,000.
11 countries on 3 continents are affected.
Sri Lanka – North Central, North Western Eastern and Uva provinces in Sri Lanka
India – Andra, Orissa (Odesha) provinces
Pacific coast of Central America- El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Southern Mexico.
Africa – Egypt, El Minia Governoate, Upper Egypt, Tunisia
Vietnam- Mekong river basin
This is a disease of poor farmers: a disease of rural villagers in Asian, African and Latin American countries. This is not a disease of the Western World. Hence, a low visibility in print and electronic media. Also there is emerging evidence that the disease is linked to agrochemicals produced by multinationals. They want to hide the link, promote other theories, and undermine the severity of the disease.
We are well aware about the reaction of the multi-national biotech industry. We know what happened to the publication by Prof. Gilles-Éric Séralini. We are ready to face them.
Sri Lanka has now become the first country to officially ban all
Glyphosate-based herbicides after an order from the Sri Lankan
President.
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