Monsanto Tribunal shows why we need to switch from industrial to eco-farming
The culmination yesterday of the Monsanto Tribunal – an international civil society initiative to hold Monsanto accountable for human rights violations – saw five judges deliver a legal opinion on the agrochemical company.
They announced that “the impacts of Monsanto’s conduct on biodiversity have negatively affected the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. These impacts are all the more grave, given the close dependency of indigenous peoples and local communities on the environment. The lack of adequate information on risks posed by herbicides and GMOs and the lack of adequate mitigation measures, the lack of credible environmental impact assessments, and the lack of meaningful consultations; they all further underscore Monsanto’s interference with human rights.”
This is an important moment to expose gaps and systemic failures in corporate accountability. Corporations such as Monsanto should become more accountable for their impacts on the environment and people, while governments should be bolder in defending the public good rather than echoing and bowing to corporate lobby demands.
Governments should shift policies and subsidies to farmers and stakeholders in the broader food system who are producing or want to produce more ecologically and healthier food. We urge governments to abandon toxic industrial agriculture and endorse fully modern ecological farming practices and support farmers to make the transition.
While the Monsanto Tribunal has no legal basis, the opinions come from real, internationally eminent and independent judges and can be used by any person or organisation worldwide in fighting for a better food system.
For the full legal opinion of the Monsanto Tribunal, click on http://www.monsanto-tribunal.org/Conclusions
Watcharapol Daengsubha,
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Food and Ecological Agriculture Campaigner, The Hague
