Ecology

Monsanto Tribunal and People’s Assembly

11/10/2016

The Hague 14-16 October

We are happy to inform you that Navdanya – along with multiple civil society organizations – is co-organizing a People’s Assembly for the future of food and the future of our planet at the Monsanto Tribunal in The Hague from 14th to 16th October 2016.

The Monsanto Tribunal will hold Monsanto and Co. accountable for their crimes against humanity, human rights violations and ecocide, regardless of what name and form they morph into.

In the last century big agribusiness of today with roots in war have poisoned millions of people, destroyed biodiversity, pushed small farmers off their land, and attempted to take over every aspect of our life. The potential of this harm increases as these corporations become fewer and bigger. An example is the recent bid by Bayer to buy Monsanto. (and once again join hands to make poisons as MoBay and becoming the IG Farben of our times.)

Using free trade neoliberal policies and deregulation of commerce to enlarge their empires, these corporations are attacking life on earth and biodiversity. They have broadened their control over our seed, our food and freedom, robbing us of our human rights and democracy. They have established monopolies and threatened farmers’ rights to seed and people’s rights to affordable medicine through patents and IPRs.

The People’s Assembly will be a gathering of movements, seed savers, seed defenders, farmers and growers and civilians to address the crimes against nature and against humanity perpetrated by chemical and biotechnology corporations. We will also chart the road to our future based on Seed Freedom and Food Freedom, agroecology and farmers rights, our commons and economies of sharing, rights of nature and earth democracy.