WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US agricultural-business giant Monsanto has a long history of appalling commercial dealings, March Against Monsanto (MAM) Savannah organizer and community activist Laura Shadley claimed to Sputnik on Friday.
“We are not just against GMOs [Genetically Modified Organisms],” Shadley said. “Monsanto has a dirty history and terrible business practices.”
On Saturday, protestors in 428 cities in 38 countries will hold peaceful demonstrations against Monsanto’s practices to raise awareness about the health threats of the corporation's genetically modified seeds and chemical herbicides. The MAM is coordinating the protests.
Shadley argued that GMOs are not natural and threaten human health and global ecosystems.
“The pesticides alone are killing us, and destroying ecosystems,” the activist said.
Shadley added people have the right to know what is goes into their food, and the fact that Monsanto spends millions on making sure the public does not know “is sneaky, underhanded and wrong.”
Earlier on Friday, Monsanto spokesperson Charla Lord told Sputnik the company was committed to having an open dialogue about food and agriculture. She said the company was proud of the work it does and is eager for people to know more about how it helps farmers and partnering organizations grow food in a more sustainable way by using fewer resources and having a smaller impact on the environment.
The March Against Monsanto is a movement that seeks to raise awareness to the dangers surrounding the company’s genetically modified seeds and cancer-linked herbicide Roundup.
Monsanto is a $20 billion company with 22,000 employees in 61 countries. The company is the world’s leading producer of genetically engineered seeds and chemical herbicides.
