General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: GMO's are they safe? There is no way to be sure yet...there are no absolutes in young science... [View all]Cha
(297,154 posts)and hold them accountable, Drew. Mahalo for your OP~
A Victory in Mexico..
Sweet victory for Mexico beekeepers as Monsanto loses GM permit
A small group of beekeepers in Mexico has inflicted a blow on biotech giant Monsanto, which has halted the companys ambitions to plant thousands of hectares of soybeans genetically modified to resist the companys pesticide Roundup.
A district judge in the state of Yucatán last month overturned a permit issued to Monsanto by Mexicos agriculture ministry, Sagarpa, and environmental protection agency, Semarnat, in June 2012 that allowed commercial planting of Roundup-ready soybeans.
The permit authorised Monsanto to plant its seeds in seven states, over more than 253,000 hectares (625,000 acres), despite protests from thousands of Mayan farmers and beekeepers, Greenpeace, the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and the National Institute of Ecology.
In withdrawing the permit, the judge was convinced by the scientific evidence presented about the threats posed by GM soy crops to honey production in the Yucatán peninsula, which includes Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán states. Co-existence between honey production and GM soybeans is not possible, the judge ruled.
Mexico is the worlds six biggest producer and third largest exporter of honey. About 25,000 families on the Yucatán peninsula depend on honey production. This tropical region produces about 40% of the countrys honey, almost all of which is exported to the EU. This is not small change: in 2011, the EU imported $54m (£32m) worth of Mexican honey.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/aug/08/sweet-victory-beekeepers-monsanto-gm-soybeans