The International Monsanto Tribunal

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SOURCEBullHorn

CALL TO ACTION

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Join your community on October 16, World Food Day!

People all over the world are coming together on October 16, 2016 to support the International Monsanto Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands. But, the power of this tribunal will depend a lot on how much global attention we can draw to it.

That’s why we at the Organic Consumers Association, as a member of the Monsanto Tribunal organizing committee, are asking for your help to #ExposeMonsantosCrimes.

This is an opportunity for you to join together with your friends and neighbors to help spread the word about the International Monsanto Tribunal. The Organic Consumers Association has partnered with March Against Monsanto to help organize a global day of action on October 16, but we need your help to organize as many events as possible across the country.

To find an event near you please check the official spreadsheet.

Don’t see an event in your area?

You can help organize! We need more people to help host events, if you can help, please email campaigns@organicconsumers.org or call 218-226-4164.

Once you have confirmed your event, you can build a custom event poster to help get the word out about your event.

Click here to build a custom event poster.

Learn more and register for the People’s Assembly taking place in the Hague, Netherlands, October 14-16.

Background on Monsanto and Citizen’s Tribunals

Monsanto may not be the largest company in the world. Or the worst. But the St. Louis, Mo. biotech giant has become the poster child for all that’s wrong with our industrial food and farming system.

With 21,000 employees in 66 countries and $15 billion in revenue, Monsanto is a biotech industry heavyweight. The St. Louis, Mo.-based monopolizer of seeds is the poster child for an industry that is the source of at least one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and is largely responsible for the depletion of soil, water and biodiversity. Not to mention the company’s marginalization—and sometimes terrorization—of millions of small farmers,

Citizens’ Tribunals have a long history of drawing global attention to corporate crimes. While the opinions handed down by the judges aren’t enforceable, they often—and in this case, will—lay the foundation for future legal cases where judgments will be enforceable.

Since the early 20th century, Monsanto has marketed highly toxic products that have contaminated the environment and permanently sickened or killed thousands of people around the world. The most toxic of its products include:

  • PCBs: one of the 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which affect human and animal fertility
  • 2,4,5 T (2,4-D): a component of Agent Orange containing dioxin which was used by the US military during the Vietnam war and continues to be a major cause of birth defects and cancers
  • Lasso: an herbicide now banned in Europe
  • Roundup: the most widely used herbicide in the world, cause of one of the biggest health and environmental tragedies in modern history. This highly toxic weed killer, sprayed on GMO crops including soybeans, corn and rapeseed for animal feed or for the production of biofuels, was recently classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

In a rare exception, Monsanto was recently ordered to pay $46.5 million to compensate victims of its PCB poisoning. Sometimes the company settles out of court, to avoid having to admit to any “wrongdoing.”

But for the most part, thanks to the multinational’s powerful influence over U.S. politicians, Monsanto has been able to poison with impunity.

It’s time for the citizens of the world to fight back. On October 15 and 16, in The Hague, Netherlands—the International City of Peace and Justice—a panel of distinguished international judges will hear testimony from witnesses, represented by legitimate lawyers, who have been harmed by Monsanto. OCA is a member of the Monsanto Tribunal organizing committee.

More on the Monsanto Tribunal:

Monsanto Makes Us Sick campaign materials:

  • Monsanto Makes Us Sick leaflet
  • Monsanto Makes Us Sick poster
  • Are eating Monsanto’s GMOs? leaflet

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