Monsanto’s Law

The controversial ‘Monsanto Law’ has been overturned in the High Courts of Guatemala. It’s a win that comes from a social rally of great strength in the capital of Guatemala, where organizations representing the Indigenous and peasant communities marched in large numbers in September. The social movements were in protest against the ‘Law for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants’[1] – the Monsanto Law – which Congress had passed in June. They marched for the protection of their food sovereignty; trade unions, farmers, women and children, all with a common goal to unite them. The law endeavored to privatize corn for Monsanto, taking it away from the farmers, whose ancestry is that of the Mayan. 

Anyone with an inkling of historical knowledge can understand the absurdity of the law, especially in this context. But in light of the win by the Guatemala region, Monsanto is arguing that the law is required under free trade deals. Unfortunately, it won’t be long before we see a similar situation that has presented in the state of Vermont, with Monsanto suing them, to prevent GMO labelling. The trade deals Monsanto represent are a new kind of bullying that we’ve not truly witnessed until now.

Lolita Chávez, spokesperson for the Mayan People’s Council spoke about the peaceful protests that in the end, saw the Monsanto Law not amended, but cancelled, said “Corn taught us Mayan people about community life and its diversity, because when one cultivates corn one realizes that there is a variety of crops such as herbs and medical plants depending on the corn plant as well. We see that in this coexistence the corn is not selfish, the corn shows us how to resist and how to relate with the surrounding world.”[2]

It’s the same story we hear around the world. Where there is oil, we see a battleground. In this case, it isn’t so much a war in the truest sense of the word, but it is certainly a battleground. Guatemala is incredibly rich and abundant with natural assets not found in other parts of the world. The international companies, such as Monsanto are eager to investigate, but as Sandberg states in his article, the Mayan people don’t agree with nature being sold off as a commodity. But as seen in the past, these vast companies have what it takes to remove the ‘peaceful protesters’ by whatever force necessary. The Mayan people constitute over half the population. It will be attention-grabbing to say the least, to witness how this all folds out in the future.

What one has to bear in mind is the overall meaning of this win for the world-wide population. The Monsanto Law would have granted an exclusivity on patented seeds to transnational companies. A door has been opened to confront the transnational corporations that “genetically modify and commercialize the feeding of mankind.” (Sandberg, 2014) This is a step that a culture in an impoverished society achieved in greatness. It is a ‘small’ step. One that Monsanto will try to use their bully tactics and controversial negotiation ‘skills’ to get around. But they were stopped – for now.

We too, in first world countries must follow the lead and fight for our own food sovereignty before it is too late.

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[1] Sophie McAdam (31 October 2014) “Triumph for Farmers as Guatemala Kick Out the most Insane Law Ever.” http://www.trueactivist.com/triumph-for-farmers-as-guatemala-kick-out-the-most-insane-law-ever/ (Retrieved 13 November 2014)

[2] Christin Sandberg (15 September 2014) “Mayan People’s Movement Defeats Monsanto Law Guatemala.” https://intercontinentalcry.org/mayan-peoples-movement-defeats-monsanto-law-guatemala-25564/ (Retrieved 13 November 2014)