Environmentalists to protest against GM corn in Costa Rica

Environmentalist groups called for two mass demonstrations against genetically modified corn in Costa Rica on Wednesday and on Feb. 6.

Some 200 activists, university students and other citizens met over the weekend to discuss details of Wednesday’s protest, which starts at 4 p.m. at La Hispanidad roundabout in San Pedro, east of San José.

The protest “aims to draw attention to the importance of discussing the consequences of genetically modified foods,” organizers said in a press release.

On Jan. 21, Costa Rica’s National Biosecurity Technical Commission granted permission to U.S. company Delta & Pine Land Seed Ltda (D&PL), a local subsidiary of multinational biotechnology company Monsanto, to grow GM corn in the country.

Modifications include procedures to introduce features that make plants resistant to diseases.