Haitian Farmers Commit to Burning Monsanto Seeds
May 18, 2010
OTHER WORLDS- "A new earthquake" is what peasant farmer leader Chavannes
Jean-Baptiste of the Peasant Movement of Papay (MPP) called the news that
Monsanto will be donating 60,000 seed sacks (475 tons) of hybrid corn seeds and
vegetable seeds, some of them treated with highly toxic pesticides.
The MPP has
committed to burning Monsanto's seeds, and has called for a march to protest
the corporation's presence in Haiti
on June 4, for World Environment Day.
In an open letter sent May 14, Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, the executive director
of MPP and the spokesperson for the National Peasant Movement of the Congress
of Papay (MPNKP), called the entry of Monsanto seeds into Haiti
"a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity,
on Creole seeds ... and on what is left our environment in Haiti."(1)
Haitian social movements have been vocal in their opposition to agribusiness imports of seeds and food, which undermines local production with local seed stocks. They have expressed special concern about the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
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© Beverly Bell, 2010
Photo by flickr user treesftf