Leaflets distributed to advise the public of the issues at stake
Two actions by the Faucheurs Volontaires (Voluntary Reapers) in France aim to secure a moratorium on GM soy imports in order to protect health and the environment.
There's a video and news coverage here. Check out this website for news (in French) on the Faucheurs and related issues.
Two actions – one aim – a moratorium on GM animal feed imports
Faucheurs Volontaires press release, 21 Sept 2014
English translation by Paul Matthews
On Friday, September 19 2014, Faucheurs Volontaires from all over France came together for two separate, non-violent, actions of civil disobedience and physical resistance:
- At the port of Lorient 3,500 tons of GM soybeans from South America were neutralised and rendered unfit for consumption by 40 Faucheurs Volontaires. The action was accompanied by the distribution of leaflets in Lorient town centre to advise the public of the issues at stake ...
- at SPACE in Rennes, (SPACE = le Salon international de l’élevage - the International Livestock Trade Fair) the general assembly of the enterprise Nutrinoë (formerly AFAB) was disrupted and held up by 30 Faucheurs Volontaires. Chanting anti-GMO slogans and scattering soybeans, the purpose was to prevent the meeting being held until every one had been evicted by the tough guys from the private security firms. Information in the form of leaflets and explanations to the public inside the SPACE arena helped to prolong the public effect of this somewhat turbulent intervention.
These actions are part of a series dating from 2006 (occupation of port silos, blocking the activity of many food cooperatives using transgenic corn and soy). The purpose is to obtain:
- A moratorium on imports of GM soya.
- A change in agricultural policy including the cultivation and use of oil-protein crops such as white lupine, pea, faba bean, alfalfa, etc ... for a range of plant proteins and to stop the damage and environmental health issues related to massive imports of genetically modified foodstuffs.
- Labeling of products containing GMOs and animal products from animals fed with GMOs (genetically modified or mutagenic seeds and crops).
A big thank you to everyone who came.