Organic Sacramento Action Alert: Oppose the "Monsanto Law," SB1056

Here's the reportback from Cal GE-Free;

"On June 28th, 2006 the Assembly Agriculture voted unanimously in favor of SB1056, a bill that takes away local government authority over seeds. If this bill passes into law, it will override future restrictions on genetically engineered crops and seeds, as well as all other local regulation of seeds.

The hearing was attended by an impressive amount of opposition – filling the room with activists from around the state, representatives of the Cal GE- Free Coalition and allied organizations including the Sierra Club of California, Consumers Union and the League of California Cities.

The ‘yes’ vote was disappointing, but not unexpected and there are several more places for us to stop the bill before it becomes law. SB1056 will now be heard on the Assembly Floor (probably not until early August after the recess), and if it passes there will travel back over to the Senate where it will likely be heard in Committee and then on the floor. For now, continue to urge people to contact their assemblymembers – urging them to VOTE NO on SB1056 to protect our farmers, environment and public health!

Thank you for your actions and stay tuned for more updates – coming soon!"

The Cal GE-Free Team


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Californians for GE-Free Agriculture

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In addition the biotech corporations like Monsanto profit from the existance of famine (lack of distribution, availability, economics) in African and Southeast Asian countries. This gives them the ability to flood the market with their genetically modified rice, soy, grains, etc.. at the expense of local rice farmers who under oppressive regimes (eating out of corporation's hands) are unable to distribute their locally grown organic product and lose their fields after bankruptcy..

That day while the biotech lobbyists sat inside the Sacramento capital mocking protesters and organic farmers the spirit of Kyung Lee (the South Korean rice farmer who committed suicide on top of the fence during the Cancun WTO biotech protests) was presente. Lee was floating through the clouds above watching the politicians and biotech lobbyists sitting in air conditioned comfort making decisions that would effect the farmers watch their land disappear into the coffers of the neoliberal controlled globalization government thugs, leaving the dispossessed farmers to wander onto hot dry streets into oblivion. There is no scientific proof for spirits either though maybe Lee's memoria resides in my corazon (heart)..

What i would have said if allowed inside the building (not having any luck with capital security that day, not worth risk of arrest, plus i was delayed at the bridge) was that my belief is that genetically engineered crops from Monsanto are increasing the risks of a severe famine and possible genocide of populations in other nations since the nature of genetic evolution is a fluid response to an ever changing ecosystem, and biotech corporations will find their GMO/GE products unable to keep up with the increasing resistances in plants and animals..

Then i would suggest all business, politicians and scientists have access to and read certain books including (yet not limited to) ANY book about biotech by Vandana Shiva and specifically "The Fluid Genome" by Mae-Wan Ho that explains the ever changing character of genes responding to evolution in ecology..

Then there's the ethics of patenting life that is in violation of US patent law that specifically states any living organism cannot be patented. This form of patenting non-full birth human genes (and plant genes) will result in a return to slavery of non-full birth humans. Revoke any patents on living beings, plant, animal, human, fungi, bacteria, protista, etc..

Corporations cannot claim ownership of living beings..

Monsanto cannot claim humanitarian goals with their recent "cyanide free" cassava (small amounts of cyanide found in cassava, various beans, almonds, etc.. are only harmful when not processed and no other food available, economic conditions of poverty) either. Neurological damage not proven to be caused by cassava consumption, other petrochemical toxins in environment more likely culprit. Monsanto uses the "cassava causes neurological damage" as their excuse to continue tampering with genetic engineering in sustainance farmer's food crops instead of fixing root causes of famine, malnutrion, poverty, militarization and exploitation by G8 nations..

This strategic deception comes at a time when Monsanto is facing increasing critisizm for their role in gaining control of local farmers and forcing many others out of business with their patented seeds. There is nothing humanitarian from profiting from hunger (caused by military tension, distribution, etc..) and preventing people in lower economic nations from growing their biologically diverse indigenous plants for nutrition. Biotech claims sustainence farming is not longer effective, that is because people are forced off their land by foreign (US or G8 nations) corporations interested in their mineral, lumber of export agricultural resources..

your friend in the struggle against corporate dominance,

marcus moth

Here's a memoria of Lee Kyung-Hae. We will not forget his personal sacrifice for his fellow farmers in Korea..

"Tragically, the suicide by the Korean farmer Lee Kyung-hae amplifies the devastation that WTO has wrought on the farming communities all over the world. Not listening to the voice of the marginalized and the poor, a majority of them actively involved with farming, will not only be suicidal but can be catastrophic for the powers that be. The message from Lee's sacrifice is loud and clear. Not listening to the growing discontent and frustration that prevails on the farm front, exacerbated through the trade reforms, will only globalise anger."



http://www.mindfully.org/WTO/2003/Cancun-Fiasco-WTO-Sharma17sep03.htm