Haitian Farmers Refuse Monsanto’s Seeds and Instead Commit to Burning Them

clipped from www.alternet.org Food Freedom recently reported that Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, peasant farmer leader of the Peasant Movement of Papay (MPP) called the entry of Monsanto seeds into Haiti “a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity, on Creole seeds. Monsanto’s seed donations were an unwelcomed gift to a country with vocal opposition to GMO seeds for fear they would ruin what little agriculture the country has left. Monsanto will be donating 60,000 seed sacks of hybrid corn and vegetable seeds to Haiti and MPP leader Chavannes Jean-Baptiste has vowed to burn them. According to Food Freedom, The hybrid corn seeds Monsanto has donated to Haiti are treated with the fungicide Maxim XO, and the calypso tomato seeds are treated with thiram.[3] Thiram belongs to a highly toxic class of chemicals called ethylene bisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs). Monsanto is trying to create the some addiction it created at home, abroad.

The EPA determined that EBDC-treated plants are so dangerous to agricultural workers that they must wear special protective clothing when handling them.

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Monsanto’s seed donations were an unwelcomed gift to a country with vocal opposition to GMO seeds for fear they would ruin what little agriculture the country has left.

This is the beginning of an article at alternet.org. Go in and read the whole thing… especially if you’ve looked at other articles on how Monsanto is destroying the organic seed movement.

Quote of the Day – Colin Powell on Military Solution to Gulf Oil Problem

When asked what the military could do if brought in to manage the Gulf mess:

“What we would do in my time, we would assign it to one of our army commanders, a second army would go in on Hurricane Andrew and take charge of things. But whether that’s the right combination of assets now I’ll have to leave to others to decide.

First we have to figure out what do we need? Do we need people to clean the beaches or put out skimmers? We have lots of fishermen and others down there who are available who want the work and know the water a lot better than an army unit coming in, but whether it’s army, coast guard, local forces, it is time for a comprehensive total attack on this problem.”

-Colin Powell, former Secretary of State

Memorial Day

I hope your Memorial Day is a pleasant one, with picnics or parades or just a couple of extra hours to relax before returning to the grind.

As is usual for Memorial Day, I remember my Uncle Butch (Irving B. Tchakirides), Marine sergeant killed in Viet Nam on his fourth tour by “friendly fire” (a term I will never understand… how something can be friendly and kill at the same time). And I remember my Tabor days, marching in uniform through the cemeteries of Marion, Massachusetts, with our platoons, our band, and the members of the VFW.

Today I will do cleanup around the house, walk dogs and update this blog a couple of times. Then I’ll look through job listings for tomorrow.

I hope your day is good… or at least uneventful.