. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .
An article from SPY Ghana
Thousands of activists of the collective citizenship for agro-ecology, of which many Europeans, took to the streets on Saturday [May 23] at Ouagadougou to demonstrate against genetically modified organism (GMO) and the specialized GMO distribution multinational company, Monsanto.
Dressed in red knitting on which one can read “yes to my health, no to Monsanto” and “out Monsanto”, the demonstrators gathered at the Place of the Nation and carried out about 1.5 kilometers march to submit a declaration to Burkina Faso transition authorities.
Burkina Faso economy is largely based on agriculture. The country started in 2009 large scale production of transgenic cotton with the assistance of Monsanto. Since then Burkina Faso extended the practice to food crops such as sorghum, cowpea, potato and onion.
According to Ablasse Compaore of Interzone Association for Rural Development (AIDMR), it is a protest day of farmers against their exploitation that is operated through GMO creation.
“GMOs are means to take away the self-sufficiency of peasants”, he said.
“After the political revolution, we need ecological revolution”, Ablasse Compaore said, alluding to the resignation in October 2014 of the President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore amid popular upheaval.
According to Robert Ouedraogo, official of the ministry responsible of agriculture who received the declaration, it is a “legal march” and a “legal expression of opinion”. “I can assure that this declaration will be handled, in a timely manner, to whoever it concerns. It will be considered with great care”, Mr. Ouedraogo said.
(Note: for photos from other manifestations on May 23 against Monsanto in France, Canada, South Korea, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Holland, Puerto Rico and Chile, as well as Burkhina Faso, see France 24
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