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GMW:_Farmers_Protest_at_US/Canada_Border

" GM_WATCH "

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 08:27:04 +0100

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 17, 2004

 

Farmers Protest at US/Canada Border: Giant Banner Says No to GMOs

 

DERBY LINE, VT / POCK ISLAND, PQ - April 17 - Over fifty American and Canadian

farmers rallied at the border today to mark the April 17th International Day of

Farmers' Struggle with a festive array of puppets, placards, and a giant banner

hung from the Interstate 91 overpass above the border crossing saying no to

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in English, French, and Spanish.

 

79 Vermont towns have passed measures calling for a Time Out on GMOs, and the

House & Senate have now approved a measure to label all genetically engineered

seeds sold in the state. Today's rally coincides with farmer protests in over 26

nations around the world to stand up for farmer's rights and food sovereignty,

and say no to GMO crops and corporate 'free'-trade.

 

" We are here at the border to demonstrate the global solidarity of farmers in

the face of corporate globalization, " said Hillary Martin, a farmer from

Burlington, Vermont. " The corporate takeover of agriculture has impoverished

farmers, starved communities, and force-fed us hazardous genetically engineered

crops, only to line the pockets of a handful of multinational corporations like

Monsanto at the expense of farmers who are struggling for land and livelihood

around the world! "

 

" Vermonters have spoken loud and clear in our capitol against GMOs and they're

starting to get the drift that coexistence of GMO and conventional means

contaminated crops " said Dexter Randal, a 7th generation conventional dairy

farmer from Troy, Vermont. " But this is a global fight. We're here to say no to

Ag policies that put family farmers out to pasture-GMOs and new trade deals like

CAFTA are just more of the same corporate greed that is pitting farmers in a

race-to-the-bottom. "

 

Today's rally highlighted the fact that Vermont's Governor, Jim Douglas,

recently signed Vermont on to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA),

an expansion of NAFTA that farmers fear will further erode food sovereignty and

push GMOs on Central America.

 

Saturday's global day of action is called by the international farmers' movement

Via Campesina (www.viacampesina.org), which marks this day to commemorate the

massacre of 19 members of the MST, the 2.5 million member landless workers'

movement of Brazil. Farmer demonstrations are underway in Italy, Spain, Belgium,

Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and

Mozambique, among 20+ other nations.

 

CONTACT: GE Free Vermont

Amy Shollenberger, 802.793.1114

Doyle Canning, 802.999.7502

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25¢