[Marxism] Coalition against Bayer Dangers

[Patrick Bond]

It is a great group. Here in Durban, South Africa, we have a Bayer 
branch plant (not far from where I live), which the South Durban 
Community Environmental Alliance (www.sdcea.org.za) and 
www.groundWork.org.za and the Centre for Civil Society 
(www.ukzn.ac.za/ccs) have honored with the prestigious Corpse Award, 
given only to corporations which do absolutely massive damage to people 
and the planet. The bastards have poisoned the soil and our rice for 
many generations to come.

***

http://www.nu.ac.za/CCS/default.asp?2,40,3,1134

Bayer Cropscience is nominated by the African Centre for Biosafety. At
present, Bayer Cropscience is bankrolling the South African Sugarcane
Research Institution, to test genetically modified (GM) sugar cane
varieties using Monsanto’s gene, eventually to get ahead in the
lucrative biofuels trade. Bayer has applied to the South African
government for approval to import genetically modified rice into SA.
Because of rejection of GMOs by consumers around the world, Bayer
Cropscience was forced out of the UK, withdrew its plans to
commercialise GM canola in Australia, and abandoned its research in India.

Now, the company is busy illegally contaminating the world’s rice
supply. Currently, only one variety of Bayer’s GM rice (LL62) has been
granted approval for cultivation in only one country – the United States
– yet due to global consumer rejection, US rice growers refuse to plant
the variety. But that move couldn’t protect growers from the insidious
nature of GM contamination. In late July of this year, Bayer sent
shockwaves through the rice industry when its experimental variety
LL601, not approved in any country, was found to have massively
contaminated US rice stocks. Global sales of US rice have plummeted and
US rice farmers are suffering huge economic losses. More than
twenty-five lawsuits have since been filed against Bayer by groups of US
rice farmers. More recently, a further case of illegal contamination has
been discovered in US rice found in France, involving Bayer’s GM rice
variety LL62. This same variety is pending approval in South Africa,

The African Centre for Biosafety is testing South African rice
considering the fact that South Africa imports rice. This is the second
time that Bayer has been nominated for a Corpse. Last year, Bayer
received the ‘Accountability and Liability Sucks Award’ for its chrome
pollution in south Durban.