Syngenta Threatens to Violently Expel the Family Farmers of the Via Campesina from the Free Land encampment: Act Now!
The multinational Syngenta Seeds is pressuring the Governor of the State of Paraná to expel the family farmers of the Via Campesina currently residing on the Free Land encampment with police force.
The 120 families occupied the area more than a year ago, in protest to the environmental crime committed by Syngenta. The multinational illegally cultivated genetically-modified soy and corn at the site, within the protective zoner of the Iguaçu National Park. The family farmers demanded that Syngenta pay the fine of US$ 465,000, imposed on the corporation by the IBAMA, the federal environmental agency. In November of 2006, the Governor of Paraná expropriated Syngenta´s site, and planned to turn the area into an agroecological research center.
Syngenta has still not paid the fine that IBAMA has demanded to the Brazilian public coffers. It has used its legal resources to suspend the Governor´s decree to expropriate the site and is now pressuring the State Governor Requião to expel, with police force, the family farmers from the land.
Today the Free Land Encampment has communal gardens that produce rice, beans, sweet potatoes, corn, manioc, chicken, and milk. The families living at Free Land are entirely self sufficient for food.
More than 300 organizations throughout the world have already shown their support to the occupation of Syngenta Seeds by the Via Campesina.
Show your Support!
1. Mail the letter to the Governor of Paraná in support of the expropriation of the experimental site.
E-mails Governor of Paraná:
gov-rrequiao@pr.gov.br
iensen@pr.gov.br
nildo@pr.gov.br
c/c: viacampesinapr@gmail.com
Fax: 55 41 3254 42 99 ou 55 41 3252 85 39 ou 55 41 3252 88 98
2. Mail letter to Syngenta Seeds demanding that it cease its pressure to expel the 120 families that occupy the experimental site.
e-mails Syngenta:
Therese.stpeter@syngenta.com
pierre.landolt@syngenta.com
Andrew.bennet@syngentafoundation.org
Andrew.bennet@syngenta.com
Lionel.stanbrook@syngenta.com
pierreetienne.boin@syngenta.com
marian.flattery@syngenta.com
Micheal.ragot@syngenta.com
Steve.goff@syngenta.com
david.Lawrence@syngenta.com
sheena.bethell@syngenta.com
michael.stopford@syngenta.com
pedro.rugeroni@syngenta.com
c/c: viacampesinapr@gmail.com