Monsanto's presence in Argentina was a deal sealed in stone, as far as the multinational was concerned. Argentina's president Cristina de Kirchner was a staunch supporter of the corporation, even going to so far as to promote Monsanto as the 'saviour' of the world.
And Monsanto took that in stride, pushing ever further in the Argentinian's large farmholdings. It built the world's biggest corn seed treatment plant in Cordoba province. However, that's when trouble started.
The pushback, however, came swiftly. Monsanto's unbridled takeover of the farming practices in Argentina caused a lot of grief, and some say illness, in the poorer communities.
Grass root activism was able to make the courts halt the construction altogether after a dossier of evidence of Monsanto's health and environmental impact was compiled by the activists.
Monsanto has already filed an appeal in the High Court, citing their strict adherence to all legal requirements, including environmental impact restrictions.
Source : Al Jazeera/ 1.28.14
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