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GE - Global Days of Action Against Monsanto

Global Days of Action Against Monsanto and Genetic Engineering April 15-30,
1999

On February 7, 1999,  over 40 representatives of activist groups from
around the world met in Cuernavaca, Mexico to share experiences and to plan
a global grassroots campaign against the Monsanto Corporation and
genetically engineered foods. While mass-based grassroots campaigns have
partially blocked genetically engineered foods and crops thus far in
Western Europe and India, activists in North America, South America,
Africa, and much of Asia and the Pacific still have a long way to go in
terms of grassroots education, Movement-building, and mobilization.
Especially in the United States activists have been stymied by a powerful
Monsanto lobbying and PR campaign that has coopted or bought off the
Congress and the White House, intimidated the media, and forced several
dozen unlabeled, untested genetically engineered foods onto the
marketplace. At the present time 51.3 million acres (out of a global total
of 69.5 million) of US farmland are planted in genetically engineered
crops, including 45% of all cotton crops; 32% of soybeans; 25% of corn; and
3.5% of potatoes. In addition 700,000 dairy cows are being injected with
Monsanto's rBGH every two weeks. Most non-organic processed food in the US
now contains at least trace levels of genetically engineered ingredients.

To help build the kind of U.S. and global Movement required to bring
Monsanto and the other GE Giants under control, and to move global
agriculture and global economic development in a sustainable and organic
direction, food and agriculture activists at the February 7 Cuernavaca
meeting endorsed the call for Global Days of Action against Monsanto and
genetic engineering on April 15-30. The interim Monsanto Campaign steering
committee of Vandana Shiva (India), Mika Iba (Japan), Tony Clarke (Canada),
and Ronnie Cummins (USA) are calling on activists all over the world to
step up their activism against Monsanto and genetic engineering, using the
fourth annual April 15-30 Global Days of Action as a vehicle for amplifying
our message, building our local and national activist networks, and further
strengthening our international solidarity. Food Bytes was endorsed at the
Cuernavaca meeting as an international clearinghouse for anti-Monsanto and
Global Days of Action activities. 

If you are planning anti-Monsanto/GDA activities during April 15-30, please
send us the details at Food Bytes so we can inform the media as well as
activists all over the world. And of course in Western Europe and India,
where nearly every day has now become a Global Day of Action against
Monsanto and genetic engineering, keep up the
good work! Further details on the April GDA will be posted on the web at
<http://www.purefood.org/>http://www.purefood.org


Ronnie Cummins, Director
Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Consumers Association
860 Hwy 61
Little Marais, Minnesota 55614
Telephone: 218-226-4164   Fax: 218-226-4157
email: alliance@mr.net        URL:
<http://www.purefood.org/>http://www.purefood.org