March Against Monsanto

A pro-organic, anti-transgenic GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) campaign is being staged in South Africa, as part of the international event ‘March Against Monsanto,’ held on 6 continents and over 500 cities worldwide.

It is a protected, peaceful, festive, family event and children are encouraged to participate. Participants should dress creatively and bring along inspiring banners and placards.

GMO’s are in our food. Pretty much in everything we’re eating, and in everything our children are eating. These GM foods are not adequately monitored to ensure public safety.

Long-term, independent, peer-reviewed studies were not conducted before GMO’s were introduced for human or for animal consumption. In the USA, the revolving door between Monsanto employees, government positions and regulatory authorities has led to key Monsanto figures occupying positions of power at the FDA and EPA.

Monsanto has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to obstruct all labelling attempts; they also suppress any research containing results not in their favour.

The scientifically established health risks include, but not confined to: sterility, birth defects, miscarriage, infant mortality, organ damage, allergies, neurological problems, and auto-immune conditions including significantly increased cancer risks.

GMO’s have been partially banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, South America, Russia, France, Switzerland and Costa Rico, and are currently labelled in 62 countries. Despite this, factory farm animals throughout the world are still fed GMO’s.

We have a social, moral and ethical responsibility to stand against Monsanto and fight for food sovereignty, for the rights of small and organic farmers, for the right to natural medicines, and for the future of the very earth we live on.

Event details

Cape Town:

10:00 Begin to gather at the meeting point – drummers, dancers & other performance artists do their thing
11:00 Start marching along our route
12:00 End the march back at start point
12:00 Open platform for speakers on the megaphone
13:00 Music/dancers
14:00 Once the protest has come to an end, volunteers will split into sub-groups and move to selected locations to distribute flyers to the public and promote anti-GMO awareness.

Port Elizabeth:

• A peaceful march.. (with surprises)
• Organic seed swap (bring your seeds, marked and in a container or brown packet of sorts and swap away)
• organic seeds for sale for those who don’t have anything to swap
• Talk by organic footprints
• Organic food from local farmers for sale.
• Talk by philosopher David Pittaway – living the self sustainable, permaculture life
• Talk by Alhyrian – founder of Try Ecosystems and collaborator with the Calabash Trust – a permaculture guru
• Talk by Emma Hay- busting the myths of Monsanto’s GMO seeds
• Talk by 11 year old anti GMO child activist Ruth Johnson
• Talk By Ryan Allan – plant FOOD not lawns – guerilla style
• Meet the teen seed freedom guerilla gardening gang and hear what the seed freedom movement is about
• Songs on the GMO impact written by talented local musicians

Facebook event pages:

• Cape Town
• Zululand
• Grahamstown
• Port Elizabeth