On 13th September, the US embassy announced that USAID, Monsanto and the Government of Nepal were forming a partnership to promote hybrid maize in Nepal. This decision has outraged several citizens because in the long run, it will not help but will have an adverse effect instead. The introduction of Monsanto seed products into Nepal will have disastrous consequences. Hence, a movement has been initiated to protest against the agreement.
Monsanto is a biotech Goliath and has a long history of screwing people over. Evidence from other countries demonstrates after the introduction of Monsanto seeds into a country yields will actually decrease, the food produced will be less nutritious and the need to use chemical fertiliser will increase substantially. Eventually, Nepali farmers will be forced into a relationship of dependancy with Monsanto Company. Monsanto seeds will irreversibly damage their conventional farms, organic farms and heirloom seeds, not to mention the soil degradation and water pollution. This is dire especially considering the proposed pilot program targets three of Nepal’s prime maize producing districts – Chitwan, Kavre and Nawal Parasi, potentially irreparably damaging the crops there. Not only will the farmers be worse off economically, but the nation’s international trade will also suffer as a whole.
Therefore for all these reasons and more, you are requested to help stop this USAID program going ahead and prevent Monsanto from controlling the seed and controlling the people in Nepal. And you can do so by signing a petition on a website.
Click here to sign the petition.
It’s also been clarified that the campaign is not against USAID, or the US government and its people. It is a protest strictly against the introduction of Monsanto crops in Nepal.
You can also join its Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stopmonsantoinnepal
