Since the beginning of May, Occupy Monsanto protests have been taking place in cities around the world. Yet, the majority of people have no idea what Occupy Monsanto even is, and it’s no wonder when most major media sources have not even mentioned it.If you haven’t heard of it, millions of people have been protesting against Monsanto’s influence on our food systems through Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). There has been very strong opposition to Monsanto in the U.S. due to the protection of Monsanto by the U.S. government. In late March, President Obama signed the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ and last month, Senate voted 71-27 against an amendment to the Farm Bill that would give power to each state for the decision to label GMO foods. At the end of May, a list of politicians who were paid off by Monsanto was released, showing the hold that Monsanto has within the U.S. government.
Due to the lack of news coverage on Occupy Monsanto protests, many people are also questioning whether Monsanto has infiltrated media sources as well. Some people have announced that Facebook is restricting people who have been posting photos of the Monsanto protests (http://intellihub.com/2013/05/26/facebook-censors-pictures-of-children-rallying-against-gmos-during-gglobal-march-against-monsanto/). It concerns me that a corporation can hold such power, especially when it comes to our food sources. Are you concerned about how Monsanto is reaching into the government and civil society? Do you think it should be mandatory for GMOs to be labeled on foods?