WikiLeaks Exposes U.S. Bully Tactics Against Non-GM Countries

Many people are left questioning the rationality behind GM foods. Already, multiple health issues have arisen from the modified crops, and the products used to maintain them. Monsanto is a household name, but not for its foods; for its predator-like reputation. 

Previously classified documents have reached WikiLeaks over some years now, showing us the underlying motives associated with Monsanto, and also the U.S. government push to support Big Ag and penalize countries who exclude GM exports from their shores.

Recent highlights have revealed the State Department lobbying for Monsanto and other big player biotech corporations. American diplomats were arranged to meet agricultural officials and politicians across the world in order to push their agenda in ‘target countries,’ including Europe and Africa.

A non-profit consumer protection group known as Food & Water Watch published a report detailing the underbelly partnership between the federal government and several biotech companies pushing their GMO goods on targeted countries for humorous years.

From Food & Water Watch: “The United States has aggressively pursued foreign policies in food and agriculture that benefit the largest seed companies. The U.S. State department has launched a concerted strategy to promote agricultural biotechnology, often over the opposition of the public and government, to the near exclusion of other more sustainable, more appropriate agricultural policy alternatives. The U.S. State department has also lobbied foreign governments to adopt pro-agricultural biotechnology politics and laws, operated a rigorous public relations campaign to improve the image of biotechnology and challenged common sense biotechnology safeguards and rules – even including opposing laws requiring the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods.”

In 2008, WikiLeaks provided documentation supporting how Monsanto and the U.S. Government swap employees and positions on a rotating basis. Further to this, in 2007, the website also published how retaliation was being planned by the Bush administration against those countries (such as France) who refused GM agriculture and business.

“Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits. Moving to retaliation will make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices.”

Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive, has said that “the US Department of State is selling seeds instead of democracy. This report provides a chilling snapshot of how a handful of giant biotechnology companies are unduly influencing US foreign policy and undermining our diplomatic efforts to promote security, international development and transparency worldwide. This report is a call to action for Americans because public policy should not be for sale to the highest bidder.”

The “March Against Monsanto” this month is only one of many steps to unite against this and other Big Ag and biotech companies. Our health and future depends on our stance against these persistent bullies who insist on the dollar place high above our lives and those of future generations.

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