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March Against Monsanto, Vancouver, Canada; May 25, 2013

The March Against Monsanto is an international grass roots movement as well as a protest against the Monsanto corporation and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The movement was founded by Tami Canal in response to the failure of California Proposition 37, a ballot initiative that would have required labeling food products made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Advocates support mandatory labeling laws for food made from GMOs and oppose what they and others call the "Monsanto Protection Act", a policy rider found in the Farmer Assurance Provision.

On May 25, 2013, hundreds of thousands of supporters marched or rallied. Events took place in between 330 and 436 cities around the world, mostly in the United States. Canal said that the movement would continue its "anti-GMO cause" beyond the initial event.

GMO controversy and Monsanto

Main articles: Genetically modified food controversies and Monsanto

Monsanto, headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri, is the largest producer of genetically engineered seed. Monsanto has been involved in high-profile lawsuits, as both plaintiff and defendant, and its current and former biotechnology products, its lobbying of government agencies, and its history as a chemical company have made it a controversial corporation. In the United States, the majority of corn, soybean, and cotton is genetically modified.

Some farmers, doctors, researchers, and consumers have questioned the safety of GM foods. There is a broad scientific consensus, however, that food on the market derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to human health than does conventional food. The US Food and Drug Administration does not require labeling of GMO products and has said there is no difference between GMO and non-GMO foods.

Some consumers, companies, and organizations have advocated mandatory labeling laws due to their concerns about health and about harm to the environment. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, an organization that represents the biotechnology industry in the United States and worldwide, supports voluntary labeling but opposes mandatory labeling laws because it believes it would "mislead or confuse consumers into thinking the products aren't safe". The European Union, Australia, New Zealand, China, India, and other countries require GMO labeling, while others make GMO labeling voluntary or have plans to introduce labeling.

Prior to the march, Monsanto's CEO Hugh Grant had accused opponents of genetically modified foods of wanting to block others from choosing more affordable food options, thus being guilty of "elitism".

Origin of the protests

California Proposition 37

Further information: California Proposition 37 (2012)

Proposition 37 was a California ballot measure that would have required labeling of genetically engineered food, with some exceptions. It would also have prohibited labeling such food as "natural".

Founder Tami Canal, March Against Monsanto, Salt Lake City, Utah

March Against Monsanto was created by Tami Monroe Canal, a full-time mother of two daughters. Canal was residing in California when Proposition 37 was on the ballot in November 2012. According to the Epoch Times, "Canal began the project as a Facebook page on Feb. 28, and says her anger was sparked by California’s Proposition 37 campaign to label genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The measure failed, but the fight gave her a clearer picture of GMOs, Monsanto, and the food manufacturers who spent $45 million to defeat the initiative." Monsanto spent $8.1 million successfully opposing the passage of Proposition 37, making it the largest donor against the initiative.

Soon after, Canal moved to Utah where she had difficulty finding the same kinds of fresh foods and farmers' markets she had left behind in California. "I became increasingly angry every time I would go to the grocery store and spend a small fortune to ensure I wasn't feeding my family poison", she recalled. Talking about her personal motivations for starting the movement, Canal told the Salt Lake City Weekly, "Companies like Kellogg's and General Mills are putting things like Fruit Loops on the market that are basically 100 percent genetically engineered ingredients. And that's marketed to our kids."

The Farmer Assurance Provision

Further information: Farmer Assurance Provision

The protest was also motivated by President Barack Obama's signing, on March 26, 2013, of the Farmer Assurance Provision, which is Section 735 of US H.R. 933. The section of the bill is called the "Monsanto Protection Act" by critics, and it authorizes the United States Department of Agriculture to allow the planting and cultivation of genetically modified food while environmental reviews are being completed, even if there is a legal ruling against their approval. Independent US Senator Bernie Sanders attempted, unsuccessfully, to introduce Senate Amendment 965 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013, legislation that would require labeling of GM food products. Sanders criticized Monsanto for its opposition to his initiative, saying that Monsanto and other biotech companies "were able to gather a whole lot of support in the Senate".

Prior to the march, the March Against Monsanto group hosted an essay on their website highlighting what they saw as lack of attention to the Act in the mainstream media. Dave Murphy, founder of Food Democracy Now!, called the controversy over H.R. 933 "the turning point in the debate on political lobbying and genetic engineering in the U.S." and he described the March Against Monsanto as raising "one of the most pressing issues of our time".

Social media campaign

Canal started a Facebook social media campaign on February 28, 2013. She stated: "For too long, Monsanto has been the benefactor of corporate subsidies and political favoritism ... Organic and small farmers suffer losses while Monsanto continues to forge its monopoly over the world's food supply, including exclusive patenting rights over seeds and genetic makeup." She argued that Monsanto benefited from corporate subsidies and political favoritism and that its patent rights over the genetic makeup of seeds resulted in losses to small and organic farmers. Activists Emilie Rensink and Nick Bernabe worked with Canal to promote the march on various social media sites.

By May 21, the Facebook page had attracted 85,000 members with approximately 110,000 "likes" and about 40,000 daily visitors.

May 2013 protests

Protest signs from the March Against Monsanto, Stockholm, Sweden

On May 25, 2013, demonstrations protesting genetically modified crops took place around the world. Events took place in between 330 and 436 cities around the world, mostly in the United States. March organizers estimated that 2 million people participated.

In Southern California, protests occurred in Los Angeles, including Venice, Long Beach, and San Diego. In Los Angeles, protesters marched from Pershing Square to City Hall. Some carried signs expressing support for mandatory labeling of GMOs that read "Label GMOs, It's Our Right to Know", and "Real Food 4 Real People". Dorothy Muehlmann, organizer of the L.A. march, said that they were marching to raise awareness. "This is not just a 'boo Monsanto' protest. We want more people to know so they can make their own decisions."

Environmental journalist John Upton of Grist magazine noted that the march took place two days after Senate Amendment 965, introduced by US Senator Bernie Sanders in an attempt to allow states to label GMO foods, was rejected. "Any U.S. senators paying attention to what was happening in the entire world over the weekend may have noticed a teensy disconnect between their protectionist votes for Monsanto and global discontent with the GMO giant," Upton wrote.

March Against Monsanto, Washington, DC

Positions

The March Against Monsanto published a list of concerns and its positions on a number of GMO issues on its website. According to the group, the protests were held to address health and safety issues, perceived conflicts of interest, and agricultural, environmental, and legislative concerns.

The marchers expressed the belief that GM foods can adversely affect human health, with some of the protesters asserting that such foods cause cancer, infertility, and birth defects. Protesters also asserted that GMOs might harm the environment, and play a role in declining bee populations.

The protesters argued that the Farmer Assurance Provision legislation allows Monsanto to ignore court rulings, and have called for the bill's repeal. They believe that the legislation has drawn what they call "a blurry line between industry and government".

They also believe that there has been a conflict of interest between former employees of Monsanto who work for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and that Monsanto has used their patent rights to create a monopoly of the food supply which has resulted in economic losses by small farmers. Activist and journalist Emilie Rensink, who helped organize the march, said that in her view the appointment of ex-Monsanto executives to head the FDA has resulted in political favoritism, including Monsanto subsidies which have given them an unfair advantage over small farmers. Organizer Canal points to Michael Taylor, a lawyer who has spent the last few decades moving between Monsanto and the FDA and USDA, saying that she believes that US food regulatory agencies are so deeply embedded with Monsanto that it's useless to attempt to affect change through governmental channels.

Media coverage

March Against Monsanto in Amsterdam

The protests were reported on by news outlets including ABC News, the Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and CNN (in the United States), and Russia Today and The Guardian (outside the United States).

No major media outlets in the US provided live coverage of the event. AlterNet expressed the opinion that mainstream coverage of the event was "sparse", and it criticized what it characterized as "the mainstream media's decision to ignore thousands of people marching down the nation's busiest thoroughfares". Radio host Thom Hartmann compared what he saw as scant coverage of the protests, which he attributed to the media avoiding topics that might make their advertisers appear in a negative light, to the greater media attention garnered by small Tea Party rallies.

Monsanto and industry response

Monsanto said that it respected people's rights to express their opinion on the topic, but maintained that its seeds improved agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources, such as water and energy. The company reiterated that genetically engineered foods were safe and improved crop yields. Similar sentiments were expressed by the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, of which Monsanto is a member.

Future plans

External images
Images from The Washington Post
Timeline and images from RT

March Against Monsanto organizer Tami Canal said she was surprised by the viral response and plans to continue raising awareness. March Against Monsanto joined forces with other GMO protest groups, including "Moms Across America" and "Occupy Monsanto", and have planned another other march for World Food Day on October 12, 2013.

See also

• Millions Against Monsanto

Further reading

• Annear, Steve (24 May 2013). "Thousands to Protest Genetically Modified Foods During Weekend Rally". Boston. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
• "Worldwide March Against Monsanto". Progressive 77(7):10–13. July 2013. ISSN 00330736