Monsanto Faces Hague Trial

Is Monsanto ready to pay the piper? Earlier this month, a collective group of non-profits concerned about food, farming and environmental justice announced that they will put Monsanto–responsible for developing glyphosate (better known as Round-Up) and polychlorinated biphenyl (aka PCBs), among others–on trial next year for crimes against nature, humanity and the environment, Global Research reported.The multinational corporation has seen its stock drop after news of a French lawsuit–now in appeal–that was decided in favor of a farmer who was poisoned when he used the company’s pesticides on his crops, as well as two lawsuits filed against Monsanto on behalf of workers in New York and California. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently ended a longstanding Monsanto sponsorship deal, as well.

The United Nation’s “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” will come into play as the International Criminal Court assesses not only the lawsuit–filed by The Organic Consumers Association and Millions Against Monsanto, among others–but also whether Monsanto can be held criminally liable for crimes against the environment, or ecocide.

At a press conference held during this year’s United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, a statement was made by Andre Leu, the president of IFOAM, which sums it up:

“Monsanto is able to ignore the human and environmental damage caused by its products, and maintain its devastating activities through a strategy of systemic concealment: by lobbying regulatory agencies and governments, by resorting to lying and corruption, by financing fraudulent scientific studies, by pressuring independent scientists, and by manipulating the press and media. Monsanto’s history reads like a text-book case of impunity, benefiting transnational corporations and their executives, whose activities contribute to climate and biosphere crises and threaten the safety of the planet.”

Go team.