Join us this March 12-16 2024, for a series of events in Mexico City, along with movements from over 10 countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Peru, Italy, Philippines and others. We come together to continue building a common strategy against the further imposition of new and old GMOs, and to share experiences, struggles and solidarity in defense of Biodiversity, Food and Seed Freedom. This gathering aims to connect common struggles and forge new global and regional solidarities in defense of biodiversity by strengthening our seed and food sovereignty.

Over the last few decades, GMO crops have been imposed in countries all over the world, advertised as a solution to food insecurity and the malnutrition crisis. However, the crisis has increased, while biodiversity has declined and toxins have spread. GMO imperialism has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of small farmers and biodiversity in centers of origin around the world. These centers of origin of biodiversity, like Mexico for corn, are the cradles of the world’s food supply, the protection against climate challenges other hindrances to food production.

Despite these failures, corporations continue to impose gene-edited organisms, or new GMOs, in centers of diversity, framing nature and biodiversity as commodities for commercialization and patent monopolies. But all over the world citizens are rising up against the unscientific, undemocratic, anti-ecological imposition of GMOs by corporations and governments. 

Considering continuous GMO impostions in Latin America, Asia, Europe and others, the Mexican movements, Campaña Nacional Sin Maíz No Hay País, Semillas de Vida, Via Organica, alongside Naturaleza de Derechos from Argentina, and Navdanya International issued a new and open joint declaration in Defense of Biodiversity and Seed Freedom and has now received over 800 signatures from around the world.

Seeds are the first link in the food chain. They embody our heritage and enfolds the future evolution of life. It is our responsibility to protect our seeds and pass them on to future generations. Today, our seed sovereignty is threatened by intellectual property rights and new GMO technologies that have transformed seeds from a commons shared by farmers, to a commodity under the control and monopoly of agribusiness corporations.

Together as global citizens, we come together to stand against GMO bullying and in defense of our seeds. Uniting to resist the forces that threaten diversity and freedom in our seeds.

The event will feature an International Press conference to open the event, followed by a keynote by Dr Vandana Shiva titled, “Defense of biodiversity and free seed liberty against food imperialism”.  Two international panels on the case of GMO imposition in Latin America and common strategies to resist GMO imperialism, will feature, Dr. Vandan Shiva, President of Navdanya International; Andre Leu of President Regeneration International; Mercedes López, of Via Organica and Regeneration International; Fernando Cabaleiro of Naturaleza de Derechos, Argentina; Leydy Pech Marín of Colectivo Maya de los Chenes, Yucatán; Pánfilo Hernández Ortis of Grupo Vicente Guerrero, Tlaxcala; Miguel Crespo of Probioma, Bolivia; Mauricio García Alvarez of  Swiss Aid Colombia; Fabian Pacheco of Centro Nacional Especializado en Agricultura Organica del Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje, Costa Rica; and representatives of Navdanya International and Campaña Nacional Sin Maíz No Hay País. The event will close with final declarations and key takeaways from the conference.