In the past The Costa Rica Star has published extensively on Monsanto in Costa Rica.

While United States citizens will be lining up at the polls to vote on Tuesday, November 6th, Costa Ricans will be handing in the first batch of public signatures against Monsanto’s genetically modified corn seeds.

Signatures will be handed over at 12:30 p.m. to the State Phytosanitary Service, which is a branch of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, similar to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Environmental groups along with concerned citizens have organized a campaign against genetically modified seeds in their country not only to raise concern about the possible health risks associated with a genetically modified diet, but also about how cultivating genetically engineered crops affects Costa Rican agriculture and the environment.

Along with raising awareness against GMOs, the campaign is also planning on holding a demonstration against bringing Monsanto’s corn into the country. In addition on Tuesday, the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) will be assessing applications from a couple of businesses that want to plant four genetically altered corn crops in Costa Rica, ironically.

If the NBC grants the approval of the companies’ wishes, they will be able to sow 86.4 acres of genetically modified corn in Costa Rica. The fight on GMOs will be a hard fought one for Costa Ricans, as they will be handing signatures to defeat introducing GMOs the same day that the NSB will possibly be allowing the introduction.

Correspondingly, in the United States, Californians will be voting on a GMO labeling ballot initiative, Proposition 37, that has also served as a tough battle. While concerned citizens have been raising money and awareness and collecting signatures, the biotechnology and food industries have been raising tens of millions of dollars to defeat ‘California’s Right to Know’.

Source: SpreadLibertyNews.com