[attach id=255627 size="medium"]Genetically modified maize is grown in parts of the EU, mainly for use in animal feed.[/attach]
Hundreds of activists plan to join a global protest against the multinational agricultural technology company Monsanto on Saturday.
As of yesterday, more than 300 people indicated on Facebook they would attend the March against Monsanto in Malta, which starts at 11am at City Gate, Valletta.
Fourteen Malta-based NGOs are backing the protest.
“We hope the number of those attending will be much higher than 300,” said protest coordinator John Portelli, from the Malta Organic and Agriculture Movement.
Monsanto is the world’s largest producer of genetically modified crops and seeds.
“We are doing this to raise awareness. A lot of products on the market are already tainted with GMOs (genetically modified organisms),” Mr Portelli said.
Protest organisers are concerned about potential health risks associated with GMOs and environmental degradation linked to the cultivation of genetically modified crops.
A lot of products on the market are already tainted with genetically modified organisms
They are also alarmed about the impact that multinational agri-tech businesses have on independent farmers and small co-operatives.
All GMOs must receive EU approval according to set conditions before entering the European market as seed or to be used in food and feed.
However, protest organisers in Malta warn the EU is under political and economic pressure from the American Government to liberalise the GMO market to accommodate US companies that are the main producers of such seeds.
Recently, the US Congress and the President passed the so-called Monsanto Protection Act, which, among other things, bans US courts from halting the sale of genetically modified products even if legal action is taken against the biotech companies that produce them.
Saturday’s march will proceed to Upper Barrakka Gardens where a public debate on The Food – Our Future will be held. A film will be screened at the Gaia Elysium Centre in Għajn Tuffieħa at 2.30pm, followed by a discussion.
There will be short educational presentations at Angka Cafe in Marsa about GMOs and organic food between 5 and 8pm.
Visit the Facebook event March Against Montalto – Malta for more details.