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Home / News and events / Events / 16th October: FOR A GMO-FREE EUROPE against Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and Agribusiness

16th October: FOR A GMO-FREE EUROPE against Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and Agribusiness

6 October 2010

On the occasion of world food day, on 16th of October, European Coordination Via Campesina calls for civil society to organize decentralized actions to denounce the role of agribusiness companies like Monsanto in the destruction of biodiversity and privatization of living things.

On the occasion of world food day, proclaimed by the United Nations as the 16th of October, European Coordination Via Campesina calls for civil society to organize decentralized actions to denounce the role of agribusiness companies like Monsanto in the destruction of biodiversity and privatization of living things. The new proposals of the European commission on GMOs threaten to loosen the rules for authorizing GMOs, by proposing to renationalize decision-making on GMO issues. In March 2010, the European Commission authorized a GMO for the first time in 12 years – allowing for the cultivation of Amflora , a GMO potato developed by BASF. The Commission is moving on GMOS, trying to convince member states that their new proposal offers them the freedom to ban GMOs if they wish. The truth is that once GMOs are authorized by the Commission, they can be sold anywhere in the EU, regardless of what member states do. The Commission can then push many more GM varieties through a weakened authorization process. It is urgent to react now! We reject GM crops for cultivation, import and use in animal feeds. The coexistence of GM and non-GM agriculture is impossible, and European citizens, farmers and civil society organizations have consistently reiterated their rejection of the cultivation, import and sale of GM plants and their derivatives in Europe. We call for symbolic, direct actions of citizens and civil society organizations asking for a GMO-Free Europe. In France, Spain and Italy the first actions will be launched on the 16th of October, aiming to act in parallel with similar initiatives in other European countries on the same day. This is the first step in a more coordinated European mobilization against GMOs with many other European partners who may not be able to join us from the beginning. We aim to establish a Europe-wide coalition against GMOs to respond to the present and future European Commission GMO-friendly agenda. Europe has a choice to make – a future of GM agriculture, biodiversity destruction and increasing health, environmental and social costs – or a future of sustainable family farming, increasing agrobiodiversity, revitalized rural areas and an environment free of agrotoxins. Join us in sending a clear message to the European Commission on the 16th of October.

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