Monsanto Votes Down GMO Transparency Resolutions Supported by More than 2.6 Million

Despite protests held at Monsanto’s headquarters during the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting, shareholders voted down two resolutions proposed by critics.

According to a report via Reuters, “The requests came in the form of two shareholder resolutions that were backed by environmental, food safety and consumer activist groups. They said that more than 2.6 million members Support their efforts.”

Another report from Consumerist notes one resolution “had the backing of a petition with more than 160,000 signatures.”

Essentially, the proposed resolutions included requests for Monsanto to provide a report on contamination of non-GMO crops and to stop its fight against GMO labeling.

Approximately two dozen people protested, and, according to Reuters, 10 people were arrested after traffic became impeded from the protest.

“We are asking for shareholders to vote in favor of transparency,” said Margot McMillen, a farmer and member of the National Family Farm Coalition, which introduced one of the resolutions.

However, the resolutions did not pass, following Monsanto’s official recommendations to reject both of them.

According to Reuters, regarding the request for a report on contaminated non-GMO crops: “Monsanto executives said that the company already has stewardship practices that works to protect the co-existence of non-GMO crops with GMOs.”

For the second request, a plea for Monsanto to stop fighting GMO labeling, Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant explained the the “company supports voluntary labeling efforts by individual food companies” but also asserted that “mandatory labeling of GMO foods could confuse and mislead consumers if there is no meaningful difference in nutrition or safety of the foods.”

While Monsanto doesn’t seem to be in favor of the kind of transparency so many are requesting, individual state battles for GMO labeling are still just heating up.

Image Source: Rosalee Yagihara / Wikimedia