Monsanto Profits Hit A New High - While Mexican & South American Farmers Protest Against The Invasion of GMOs

By Theodora Filis

Biotech giant Monsanto reported strong results for its first fiscal quarter this year with profits of $339 million; this is up from $126 million last year. The company attributes the strong results to the "continued expansion" of its corn business in Latin American countries, its "early momentum" in US seed and trait sales, and the performance of the company's agricultural productivity division.

This news led the company's stock to rise. Media reports said earlier this week Monsanto's shares were "surging" during pre-market trading after the company reported its healthy earnings and revenues. Reportedly, the company's increase "exceeded" previous estimates figured by analysts, reported Business Insider.

On Wednesday, January 23rd, Leaders of the National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasant Organizations (UNORCA) from more than 20 states began a sit-in and collective hunger strike against the planting of Genetically Modified (GMO) corn in Mexico.

Mexico, the birthplace of corn, contains a broad biodiversity of corn varieties. If allowed to proceed, this will be the first commercial planting of a GMO crop at its center of origin anywhere in the world. The impacts of this decision are critical for the cultural and food sovereignty of Mexico’s small farmers, but also for the health of Mexico’s urban population.

Three biotech giants have applied for permits to grow 6 million acres of GMO corn in the Northern Mexican states of Sinaloa and Tamilaupas. On September 7, 2012, Monsanto requested permission from the National Service of Food and Agriculture Inspection Office (SENASICA)   to plant three GMO corn varieties (MON89034-3, MON88017-3, and MON-00603-6) in 1,729,737 acres in 10 municipalities of Sinaloa state. They hope to begin planting in the next two months to harvest the first commercial crop of GMO corn in Mexico this summer.

And, according to the Wall Street Journal, Monsanto has "traditionally reported a quiet first quarter", with the growth in South America, the company now has stronger sales year-round.

Debates about the pros and cons of GMOs are taking place across the region.

GMOs are becoming increasingly prominent in South America, yet they continue to face strong resistance. One-third of the 134 million hectares of GMOs planted globally in 2009, were in South America. Brazil and Argentina are the main producers, with 21.4 and 21.3 million hectares respectively. Of the 25 countries in the world that are planting genetically modified crops, seven are in South America. Between 2008 and 2009, world production of GM crops increased by eight percent, while in Brazil it rose by 35 percent.

GMOs are associated with a loss of biodiversity, as well as increasing social exclusion and economic dependency, especially for small farmers and native communities. Some experiences indicate that GM crops are sold to farmers as the only option.

The crops have three main characteristics:

1. they do not produce new seeds, thus the seeds must be bought anew every crop season;

2. they survive herbicides, which are usually provided by the same producers of the crop seeds;

3. property rights are held by the seed providers.

Some of the consequences of these commercial seeds are; soil degradation, because single crop farming, resistance to herbicides, and extinction of insects are linked to plants’ reproduction; GM species have the potential to mix and reproduce with non-GM species, without knowing the impact of these combinations; and economic and social dependence of farmers on GM-crops, herbicides, and high-cost machinery.

There are no international regulations to control the use and spread of GMOs. International organizations have proposed protocols to implement international food codes (FAO and WHO) and to adopt bio-security regulations at national borders (Protocol of Cartagena), to avoid the risk that GMOs affect other products or reproduce genetic material.

However, none of these protocols have been widely accepted. Some countries have proposed regulations on tagging and commercialization of GM products, but without taking into account the impacts that commercialization and use can have.

"This is not just an issue for peasant farmers. The coming GMO maize invasion would impact all people as consumers and would aggravate the terrible food dependency that our country suffers from. We respectfully ask you to join our struggle with a one-day solidarity fast, and join our sit-in if you can, or from the place where you live and work, by speaking out publicly to express your support for our actions, sending a message to us and/or to the news media. We are enormously grateful for your support." - UNORCA