CONSUMERS STILL say no to GMO as tens of thousands take part in the third annual March Against Monsanto to protest against the American biotechnology giant’s genetically modified crops and pesticides.
Protests occurred in around 400 cities, in more than 40 countries spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Paris, Rio, Los Angeles, Strasbourg and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso were among the protest cities.
Approximately 2,500 protesters gathered in Basel and Morges, Switzerland, where Monsanto has its European, Middle East and African headquarters.
An estimated 3,000 gathered in Paris, where Monsanto’s market-leading herbicide Roundup was in the spotlight. The product is notoriously controversial – and the World Health Organisation has recently classified its main ingredient as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’.
Demonstrators called for a 10-year moratorium on the planting of Monsanto seeds while independent research is conducted on the effects of the technology.
