Monsanto Backs Out Of Seed Plant In Argentina After Protests

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

August 12, 2016

In yet another victory against the multinational corporation Monsanto in Argentina, the company has now announced that it will dismantle its multi-million dollar GMO seed plant in Malvinas.

Monsanto made the decision to give up on its seed plant after three years worth of protests from local citizens and GMO-free campaigners from all over Argentina. In 2014, activists forced to Monsanto to stop the construction of the plant by using coordinated protest techniques at the construction site.

A spokesman for Monsanto told Argentinian media organizations that Monsanto was dismantling the plant and that “the plant was designed to treat 3.5 million hectares of maize; however, last year, only 2.5 million hectares were sown.”

“An investment of almost 1500 million makes no sense.”

The spokesman was also forced to admit that the protests, local pressure, and resistance by environmentalists, anti-GMO activists and local residents was indeed part of the reason the company decided to dismantle the plant. In addition, a number of lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto over the legality of the construction permit as well as environmental impacts.
READ: Argentina Has A “City Of Death” Thanks To Monsanto

Sofia Gatica, one of the main activists and leaders of the protest blockade in Malvinas told InfOGM,

It’s been almost three years that Monsanto has not been able to put a brick or a wire at the construction site… The company is leaving the field but does not yet recognize its defeat in this battle. We talked with those who have to dismantle what remains. We remain on alert and continue blocking, waiting to see what will happen. We want the site to now be devoted to organic and sustainable agriculture.

Monsanto Threatens Argentina Over Recent Food Inspection Decision

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

May 19, 2016

In yet one more example of how Monsanto will stop at nothing to achieve total domination of the food supply, the major agricultural corporation is now attempting to use its toxic product as leverage against the Argentinian government.

After a dispute between Monsanto and Argentina regarding the inspection of genetically modified soybeans, Monsanto has now announced that it intends to suspend future soybean technologies in Argentina. Monsanto’s move will leave many Argentine farmers who used the company’s biotech products without the new Xtend technology scheduled to be deployed in Argentina allegedly aimed at increasing soy yields as well as controlling glyphosate-resistant, broad-leaf weeds, another problem created by Monsanto itself. The dispute centered around the fact that Monsanto was demanding that private exporting companies act as inspectors to ensure that agricultural products trademarked to the company (although even this is disputed by farmers) were not being sold. The Argentine government ruled that only the government had the authority to act as a food inspector.

Monsanto said it was “disappointed” in the manner in which the direction the dispute has taken and that “the company plans to take measures to protect its current assets and will suspend launching any future soybean technologies in the country.”

Soybeans are Argentina’s main cash crop and the country is the number one exporter of soy mill livestock feed. Unfortunately Argentina farmers now rely heavily on Monsanto to produce those soybeans. Thus, the move by the corporation has sent many Argentinian farmers into panic mode.

Ultimately, Monsanto is one corporation who would be doing the world a favor by taking its ball and going home. Decades of environmental destruction, chronic health conditions and death – all direct results of Monsanto and its products – have left the company in a situation where it is hard-pressed to show one positive thing it has ever done for mankind. Indeed, it seems almost impossible for Monsanto to show one product that was at least not harmful.

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - May 16, 2016

Brandon Turbeville
BrandonTurbeville.com
UCY.TV
May 16, 2016

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - May 16, 2016

Brandon discusses the Syrian crisis, White Helmets, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, and Argentina's fight with Monsanto.

ACCESS THE PROGRAM HERE

ACCESS THE TRUTH ON THE TRACKS ARCHIVES HERE

Monsanto Set To Fight Argentina Over “Royalties” Owed By Farmers

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

April 28, 2016

While the Argentine government has recently shown signs that it may take the side of farmers over Monsanto, the international agricultural corporation is not willing to simply accept defeat. Nor is it even willing to accept a minor obstacle in its attempt to dominate the food supply.

Shortly after the government of President Mauricio Macri passed a resolution officially giving control of the analysis of seeds, Monsanto is now set to challengethe Argentine government’s decision.

While the Argentine government has agreed to collect monies owed by small farmers in royalties on genetically modified soybean seeds, the government requested additional time to do so. Even this, however, was unacceptable to Monsanto as the corporation rejected the government’s request according to two unnamed Monsanto staff members cited by Bloomberg News.

As a result, Ricardo Buryaile, the Agricultural Minister and members of his staff have met with representatives of Monsanto and Chief Operation Officer Brett Begemann to request a waiver on the owed royalties.

Monsanto rejected that waiver request but did agree to slash the royalties being demanded from fifteen dollars per hectare to nine dollars per hectare for growers who use Monsanto technology but who do not actually purchase the seeds directly from Monsanto itself.

Both Monsanto and the government did agree that large soybean producers must pay royalites. Interestingly enough, Monsanto’s stock rose three percent on the heels of this announcement. The stock had declined seven percent this year.

Argentina: Government Shows Signs Of Siding With Farmers In Dispute With Monsanto

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
April 26, 2016

The world’s third largest soy exporter may have just dealt another blow to the multi-national agricultural company Monsanto.

A simple decree by the Argentine government regarding food inspection may signal an even bigger step in the right direction for the South American country in the future.

The issue surrounds the fact that Monsanto has been demanding that exporters inspect cargo to determine whether or not farmers had paid the requisite royalties to produce the company’s genetically modified soybeans. Monsanto is claiming that Argentine farmers have benefited immensely from the Intacta technology and is demanding that everyone pay to use it.

For about a year, Monsanto has been pressuring shipping companies and demanding that the companies notify it when crops produced with Intacta technology are scheduled to be exported without corresponding documentation proving that royalties had been paid to Monsanto.

The Intacta soybeans in question are genetically engineered to have a gene that protects them against worms that target the plant. Monsanto is demanding royalties for grains produced even by second generation seeds. Farmers, however, argue that Argentinian law does not require that they pay for second generation production and are asking the government to stop private companies from acting as food inspectors.

The Argentine Rural Society (SRA) an organization that represents medium and large scale producers said the inspections were unwarranted. “These methods were not only not authorized, but furthermore, we saw them as an abusive power for a company to be acting like the police,” SRA president Luis Etchevehere said.