Victory: Judge Deprives Monsanto of GM Planting Permit in Mexico, Protects the Bees

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/10/20/victory-judge-deprives-monsanto-gm-planting-permit-mexico-protects-bees/

Honoring the complaints of a small group of beekeepers in the state of Yucatán, who complained that Monsanto’s planned planting of thousands of hectares of GM soybeans made to withstand RoundUp would demolish their honey industry by decimating bees – a judge in Mexico has removed Monsanto’s planting permit. Monsanto can install Clarence Thomas on the U.S.00 Federal Judge circuit after working for their corporation, an obvious conflict of interest, but it looks like a Mexican judge won’t be bought off by biotech.

Though Monsanto will surely appeal the ruling, it will at least stall the growing season and give the bee-keepers time to gather additional support for their cause.

A district has overturned a permit issued to Monsanto by Mexico’s agriculture ministry, Sagarpa, and environmental protection agency, Semarnat, back in June 2012 that allowed commercial planting of RoundUp-ready soybeans.

If the permit had been honored, Monsanto would have been able to plant seeds in seven states, covering more than 253,000 hectares of land. (This amounts to almost a million acres.) Mayan farmers, beekeepers, and activist groups like Greenpeace, the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, and the National Institute of Ecology have been vocally protesting this action.

The judge was apparently convinced that the scientific data showing a link between RoundUp, GMOs, and lowered honey production is very real. The Yucatán peninsula grows vasts amounts of honey, and in fact is the third largest exporter of honey to the world. The area includes Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán states. More than 25,000 families build their livelihoods on honey production. Almost all of the honey grown there is exported to the EU and amounts to over $54 million in Mexican money annually.

[merrily]

1. No posts from the Monsanto fans yet?

[djean111]

2. It is early yet, people don't start work until a bit later. :)