Activists Halt Monsanto Seed Plant Construction in Argentina

The seed-giant and GMO evil genius Monsanto is promising to appeal a recent decision by a labor appeals court in Argentina to stop construction of a seed-manufacturing plant there. Activists filed the initial complaint to put the brakes on the factory, citing health and environmental concerns associated with genetically-modified crops and their production. But Monsanto is fighting back.

“We have filed a criminal complaint to inform the prosecutor of certain irregularities in violation of environmental law that have occurred in the heart of the Ministry of the Environment which is involved with authorizations of projects,” attorney Raúl Montenegro told Revolution News, according to GMWatch.org.

The decision by the court is being celebrated by protestors in Malvinas Argentina in the Cordoba Province, where they’ve blocked Monsanto employees from working on the site for 113 days. They physically prevented the ongoing construction while awaiting a decision by the court.

“We consider our right to build legitimate since we have complied with all legal requirements and have obtained authorization to build according to the regulations,” said Monsanto’s statement.

The corporation also expressed disdain in the protestors’ actions that left their workers jobless, accusing them, “for over three months Monsanto employees and contractors had not been able to exercise their right to work, due to the action of extremists who blocked the site, incited violence, and systematically ignored judicial decisions.”

Read: 800 Million Pounds of Pesticides Can’t be Washed Off

The 2-1 decision by the court is not a permanent one. They called for an environmental assessment on the area to determine the future effects that the plant may have. The assessment could be complete as soon as next month. While Monsanto says they’ve already completed an environmental assessment, their objectivity is well-recognized as non-existent.

onsanto would have everyone believe its products are safe—not only for human consumption, but for the environment as well. But as activists submitted to the court, not only have pesticides from Monsanto been linked to birth defects and cancer in South America, but they’ve led to water contamination as well.

Despite the growing global criticism of the company, they recently reported better-than-expected earnings in the first quarter, jumping from $339 million in the quarter ending November 30, 2012 to $368 million in the same quarter of 2013.

What is likely the most-hated corporation across the globe is still reporting gains. How is this possible if not for governments that allow them to prosper. Opponents of Monsanto and their plan to take over global agriculture as we know it, shouldn’t be discouraged by the company’s earnings, but motivated by stories like this one out of South America. By organizing, educating, and being active, we can beat down the giant.