Groups from Mexico, local community organizations like PODER and concerned people gathered at the Secret Garden on Harrison Street, Sept. 14, to learn about the current status of the anti-GMO, pro-biodiversity movement.
Four speakers from the Mexican group “Sin Maiz No Hay Pais” or “Without Corn there is no Country,” spoke about the damaging effects genetically modified corn has had in Mexico.
“La Campaña Nacional en Defensa de la Soberanía Alimentaria,” the campaign started by “Sin Maíz no hay Paíz,” comprises over 300 indigenous organizations, environmental groups, women, human rights organizations, representatives of international cooperation, intellectuals, artists, scientists, students and citizens.
The campaign advocates for the rights of farmers who struggle against large corporations that import food at cheaper prices.
The event was organized with the intention of building the movement against what organizers see as the symbol of the corporate food regime: genetically modified food and the corporate control of agriculture.
Antonio Turrent, from the INIFAP, Union de Cientificos Comprometidos con la Sociedad explained: “The ecosystem that grows our corn, if invaded by GMOs, there will be no room for our native corns, there will be no biodiversity in Mexico.”
Part of the goal of the movement in Mexico is also to have people consume locally grown food as opposed to food made by industrial producers such as Bimbo, Maseca, Minsa, Bachoco, Nestlé, Cargill and Monsanto – manufacturers that are harmful to local farmers.
“We are educating people about the importance of what they eat,” said Alejandro Espinoza Calderon from the National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural, and Animal Husbandry Research (INIFAP), Union de Cientificos Comprometidos con la Sociedad.
“Our scientists tell the government ‘Don’t do this, it will destroy the natural environment,’” he added. “The decisions that are being made in Mexico affect everywhere.”
GMO foods are organisms whose natural genetic make-up has been altered by genetic engineering, often so that they will be more resilient to herbicides or to produce insecticide. This relatively new science merges DNA from various species, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that cannot grow in nature or in traditional cross breeding.
“Mexico is the heart of the corn,” Calderon said. “We need to save our corn because this is where our culture is—we need to defend natural organic farming and fight GMO agro business.”
In 30 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and all of the countries of the European Union, there are significant restrictions or bans on the production of GMOs because of concerns that GMO producers have not proven their products to be safe for human consumption.
In the U.S., on the other hand, the government has approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who create them, and despite the fact that polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOS’s, the federal government has chosen not to require that companies disclose this information.
The mayor of Richmond, Gayle Mclaughlin, had no qualms speaking out against GMOs at the event.
“We know corporations can and must be defeated by the voice of the people,” he said.
For more information on the group Sin Maiz No Hay Pais visit:
http://www.sinmaiznohaypais.org/. To see information about the Justice Begins with Seeds Conference visit http://www.foodfirst.org/en/Justice+Begins+with+Seeds+Conference.
PODER (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights: www.podersf.org).