disturbing global agro-ethics

from Brazzil:

In the Brazilian state of Paraná, Valmir Mota de Oliveira of Via Campesina, an international peasant organization, was shot twice in the chest at point blank range by armed gunmen on an experimental farm of Syngenta Seeds, a multinational agribusiness corporation. The cold blooded murder took place on Sunday, October 21.

It happened after Via Campesina had occupied the site because of Syngenta's illegal development of genetically modified (GM) seeds. Via Campesina and the Movement of the Landless Rural Workers (MST), the main Brazilian organization involved in Via Campesina's actions, are calling the murder an execution, declaring, "Syngenta used the services of an armed militia."

Syngenta is the world's largest producer of agrochemicals and the third largest commercial seed producer. Between 2001 and 2004, Syngenta was responsible for the largest case of genetic contamination on the planet when its GM Bt-10 corn, approved for only animal feeds, was mixed with US grain meant for human consumption."

Individual acts of violence serve to send signals to others not to challenge the status quo, no matter how unfair. It tends to work the same everywhere. Wherever there exists vast disparity between the rich and the poor, between the haves and have-nots, the systems tend to be crooked, rigged and corrupt. And the value of human life often turns out to be but the cost of a bullet.

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