Monsanto, Mexico and Leydy Pech

0:12 Hi everyone. This is Herman and Christina and this is Estonia's Unknown, a podcast where we talk about Latin American history. Sometimes it's horrible and deals with tabby topics like racism, corruption, and genocide, but more than that, it's also about resistance, power and community. And yeah, this is part three of Monsanto. Today we're talking about Monsanto and Mexico and Lady Pitch, sorry not pick Pitch. Oh. I feel like keep is saying back this whole time, so maybe I did betch Now though after I found some videos of people saying her name. Oh okay, I'm excited. Yeah, and yeah, we'll just jump right into it. It's more of the same horrible things, so yeah, keep in mind, but also like uplifting things the same okay, you know, yeah, literally what are like tagline is that's what is going on here?

1:04 Oh okay. Yeah. So in the last couple of episodes we discussed Monsanto, their history, how much they suck, how horrible they are, then you know, their involvement in Argentina, and today we're focusing on Mexico and this historic win for the Maya indigenous against Monsanto and the women behind it all. Baby Petch so when it comes to Monsanto, like other countries in Latin America, the numbers of like the things they've done and how much they've affected the country is similar to other Like it's similar in Mexico. I mean, Monsanto controls seventy percent of the seed market in Mexico, which is a lot. Yeah, and this affects so much so the food and nutrition that is eaten the animals that are eating those same seeds. One study found that one hundred percent of children in outland Jalisco, which is like one hundred and fifty kilometers, Yeah, one hundred of the kilometers south of Guadalajara is where is.

2:05 The study found that one hundred percent of the children there were found to have glyphosates in their urine. Oh wow. Again, glyphasay is what the main ingredient in roundup is. Oh wow, along with eleven other type of pesticides or like toxins. Not good. Yeah. Mothers started noticing that their kids were all complaining of very similar symptoms headaches, blurry vision, red eyes, nausea, and vomiting. And finally, after like so many complaints, investigators from the University of Gualahara decided to analyze the urine of the kids in Atlan. And so they analyzed one hundred and forty six kids in this town and that's when they found all this, like that they had this much glyphasay and toxins in their urine. So you know, obviously, because it's found in their urine, it's like in them, in their body and it's making sick. Yeah. And they specifically analyzed Elementiero, which is like a farming area in Outland, but like this, Elementeero is surrounded by fields, just like a Hintina where the town was surrounded by the fields.

3:14 The school was surrounded by the fields. When kids arrived to school, the fields were being infumigated with roundup and they were also being informigated during lunch. Wow, what the hell? And although this study was only done on Elementiero, researchers were like, it's probably the same and all these other places surrounded by fields. Yeah. The video I watch was from twenty twenty and the issue had yet to be resolved. I can't find any new information that's pretty recent, too recent. Yeah, And the video ended on like an important question how many Autulanis are in Mexico, meaning how many other cities that we haven't like studied across not just highly school but all of Mexico are in the same situation. And yeah, I mean valid, very valid for Mexico. It goes back to the year two thousand and then, like the whole situation worsened in two thousand and nine. Monsanto started growing experimental plants of genetically modified soybeans in two thousand and then in two thousand and nine there was changes in Mexican laws which allowed Monzanto to conduct trials of the genetically modified corn in approved regions in Mexico. And so those experimental plots they had earlier became like official like spots where they were going to do this, where the soybeans were going to become round up ready soybeans. So this is a huge or was a huge threat to

4:46 Mexico super diverse and unique corn industry. Like the corn is just so first like Mexico, and it goes back to like you know, pre colonization, but like corn is essential, like literally the myth of the creation of man, of people, of humans is that we came we were formed from a corn, like from maize, So is it called maize. It's my e's maize m a z Yeah. Myece in Spanish is English. Yeah, in English, it's maze really m a I z e Oh Okay, okay, okay, I think I don't know. I just thought it was called something else, but it doesn't matter. Yeah, anyway, moving on, so sorry.

5:35 Southern and Central Mexico have like long been known as the home the home of like the diverse corn. Like every year indigenous committees select their best seats to plant in the next crop cycle. There's like, like corn just looks so different. There's like just a lot of different types of corn. Yeah. I just feel like the corn kid from TikTok right now, just saying corn and corn. But corn is life, like literally, corn is life. So they had this process, but then they also have the free exchange of seeds with other farmers, which produces the very complex diversity of corn. And Manzanto ruins all that they're ruined about diversity. Yeah, Monzanto crops would contaminate the native corn crops, pollute the environment, destroy biodiversity, poison people, and then privatize corn production as well, just like it does everywhere. This all worsened in twenty twelve when the Mexican government granted Manzanto permits to plant genetically modified modified soybeans in seven different states, including Campeche. This led to a coalition of activists who called themselves sin mais no I payis and their right. I love that the name of it. I love our rhyming coalition. Yeah yeah, and their goal is to protect and defend the traditional corn economy and culture in Mexico. Them as well as the the Manda Collectiva and Defensa the mais uh Natinko, so

7:08 the collective lawsuit in defensive native corn. They got together and they petitioned the Mexican government to stop the use of genetically modified corn because the Mexican constitution in there is the right to a clean environment is like a guarantee and really in their constitution. Yeah yeah wow, but we know, like we know that's not being yeah, always met. But in this case they petitioned the court using that guarantee and there was a years years long core battle that started with you know, their lawsuits, and in twenty twenty one, Lopez o Rador announced that by twenty twenty four, the cultivation and importation of genetically modified corn would be banned in Mexico. Oh interesting, mm hmm, as well as banning the use of glifas four. Yeah, that did get extended for a little bit, but it's still happening, so like they didn't follow it. Oh no, they extended like that when it would happen by but yeah, yeah, like it's gonna yeah, they're gonna follow it, okay, which I mean the fact that something like this yeah was past is huge. Yeah, the US not happy about it. Neither is Monzonta course, but fuck y'all. Yeah, they Monzanto countersuit stating that Mexico had to abide by NAFTA agreements. Oh fuck NAFTA too, yeah, which largely has affected Mexico in

8:43 the most negative of ways. Yeah. Yeah, maybe we'll do an episode on that one. But it's so huge, like it is, no, it is dunting. Yeah, yeah, that's the word I'm looking for. Yeah, but they dropped that lawsuit. It was like too much, they dropped it. Yeah good, So yeah, huge win for Mexico against Monsanto. Another group also fighting Monsanto in Mexico were the Mayan beekeepers. When the government granted those permits to Monsanto that I mentioned earlier a little bit ago, it became very obvious to them, the beekeepers, that the crops, Monsanto crops were contaminating local honey and killing the bees. On top of that, ninety four thousand acres of forest land, indigenous forestland, were destroyed for the fields for Monsanto. Oh my god, I hate this, I hate like, why do we have to Why does like nature and all these like, you know, why does it have to be destroyed for money? Again? Money capitalism always growth and growth and growth, because that's what capitalism is until it goes us all, lady, for real, and then we can't escape. Yep. And this is an extremely high disfirst deforestation rate, most of which I mean you said ninety four percent, right, yeah, no, ninety four thousand acres.

10:14 Oh okay, Oh my god, yeah, imagine that's like it's so lot, yeah, yeah, no it is. Yeah. Also most of that deforestation illegal of course. Yeah. And so all this going on, Lady Beech created a coalition of environmentalists, beekeepers and activists called sin trancencios or without GMOs in English. Okay, and so more on her, lady Aracelli pech Marie, Okay, love it, okay, okay. At Acelli. I know that's her mom's name, So we love it, ad Aselli, we do so. Lady Araselli pach Marine was born in nineteen sixty five in Opelchen, Campeche. She is part of the each Ex Mayaca community and she learned the art of honey honey beekeeping or sorry begeping from her grandfather, who learned it from his father, and so on and on. Just like love a tradition, yes, generations and practice of cultivating the melipona beacha or the shunan cab, the honey lady be Oh that's yeah, different names for it. This bee doesn't sting and is key to pollinating the rainforest and it is now an endangered species because of all of Monsanto's bullshit and this forestation. So for over three thousand years, the Maya have been beekeeping the honey lady be How long three thousand years? Wow? Yeah. Indigenous yukateg and Chol

11:50 Maya like groups still in the Yucatan region today. They're still be keeping these communal lands using modified traditional techniques. A little bit more more on this beki being because it was fascinating to me. The bees are kept in hollow tree sections called hobon and with the two ends closed by a stone or ceramic plug, and then there's a central hole where the bees enter, so that's like the bee nester whatever. The hobon are stored in a horizontal position, and then the honey and the wax is retrieved a couple times a year by removing the n plugs, the plugs at the bottom called banuchos. The average length of the modern hobon is between five hundred sorry fifty to sixty centimeters or twenty to twenty four inches long, and there's a diameter of thirty centimeters and the hole for the b entryway is usually lessen half an inch in diameter. That's where the pods enter. At the Maya site of Nakoum, they found a hobon that dated back to three hundred BCE. Wow, that's how long these practices have been going on. Amazing, like literally sacred. Yeah, the hobone at that site that was found was a lot smaller than the modern ones that they're using, but still the practice is still like very very similar, just you know, modernized obviously. And the labor associated with beekeeping is things

13:24 like keeping the hives away from animals, like armadillos and raccoons and then just trying to protect them when the weather is like terrible, They stack the hives in an A shaped frame and then build this thing called the palapa that covers the beehives. So just fascinating to me. Yeah, very Even with all the deforestation, Mexico is still one of the biggest largest honey producers in the world I think like fifth or six like when it comes to honey producing, wow. Yeah. And eighty percent of the honey eighty percent of those beehives are kept by indigenous communities. Amazing. Yeah, and through that, you know, they're still like restorting and saving their cultural practices like again three thousand years like yeah, absolutely fascinating, amazing sacred, like I just I am in awe. Yeah.

14:21 And obviously also but like this is their livelihood, right, and so of course they began to notice when the bees started dying in mass numbers. Yeah, the indigenous beekeepers blamed Monsanto for the deaths of more than three hundred thousand bees. Wow. That's an insane amount. Yea. The loss, the economic loss of that was twelve million vessels. Wow. And beekeeping is a livelihood of twenty five thousand or twenty five hundred two five zero zero zero. I think that's twenty five thousand. It's feel right, yeah, okay, pretending we said that right, Bicki bean is a livelihood of twenty five thousand families in these indigenous communities. It's quite a bit. That's why they're making eighty percent of the honey. Yeah.

15:18 And so Lady Pech saw all this and she would not stand for it. So this is from an interview that I found. But she said the first things I began to observe were the death of the bees at a massive rate. Why because contrary to what we were being told, bees do pollinate soy, which is the Monzanto product. Here, glyphyssate, a nerbicide used to control pest, is applied to the soyfields at a massive rate. Glyphysite has been categorized as a possible carcinogen by the World Test Organization and an actual carcinogen by other organizations, and glyphysa is still being applied to crops on our land. There are also other dangerous pesticides which affect such as this very long thing I can pronounce, but it's very dangerous for us decide though. Yeah, yeah, these pesticides changed the behavior of bees of my bees.

16:11 Ess what she said. As my bees began to leave their hives in search of nectar, they became disoriented, got lost, and stopped coming back. Wow. The bees started producing less honey because of the disforestation. For soy bees depend on these plants in the forest to produce honey. Less forest means less honey, which means less money for families who keep bees. The killing of our bees has led to more poverty in our communities. And yeah, these things like it affects everything. Yeah, and these corporations don't. They don't care. Less money to corporations, more money to indigenous community and family owned not all families. But yeah, you know what I mean, you know what I'm saying. I know, I know what you're saying. Yeah, I'm not trying Walmart family, you know, book them the corporssion of the Walmart family.

17:06 She and her coalition filed a lawsuit against the Mexican government to stop genetically modified Monsanto soybeans from being planted because the permits that had been granted to Monsanto were done so illegally. Of course, the indigenous community had to be consulted to approve these lands. They never do what they're supposed to do when it comes to the indigenous community, No, they don't. Their whole case rested on an international treaty that agrees to consult indigenous communities for any project that puts them at risk. So making that the permits for Monsanto, it made them illegal because they were never a consultant.

17:47 So the government was in violation of the International Labor Organization's Convention and the Mexican Constitution. And then in a landmark desition, the Mexican Supreme Court did rule in favor of the indigenous communities. Wow, but the planting of the soybeans didn't stop. Lady Pitch then continued advocating for this. She reached out to the universi Dad Nacional Mexico for assistance in documenting the impacts of the soy cultivation on honey, the environment, indigenous people, and the study confirmed what they've been saying that the soy poland was in local honey supply like now, it's like proof evidence. They also found traces of the pesticide in the water supply of the Opelchen so now it was also in their water now it's everywhere. Yeah, and in the urine of the town's residents. Wow.

18:47 With this evidence, the collective started an outreach campaign where they organized workshops to educate communities and government officials on the negative impacts of soybean production. Theyed petitions and protested, and then finally in twenty fifteen, the Supreme Court canceled Monsanto's permits twenty sixteen, twenty fifteen okay oh fifteen, okay yeah, unanimous ruling. They said that the government must console indigenous communities before planting the soybeans, and Monsanto's permits were revoked.

19:27 So this makes it like basically the first time ever that the Mexican government like officially takes action to protect indigenous communities against corporations like Monsanto. Like huge win. Yeah. Monzanto to this day still denies any connection with the bees dying in their seeds, but like, the reports are all there, but of course they're going to deny it. Yeah. Lady Petch received the Goldman Environmental Prize in twenty twenty, which is like winning the Nobel Prize in the environmental world for her. The award represented recognition of work of the work. Sorry, the recognition of the work of the Mayan communities and a unity of Mayan territory. And she went on to say the following during the ceremony, which was during COVID, so it was virtual. So the award gives me the opportunity to tell the world that the territories of indigenous peoples are being dispossessed for the imposition of megaprojects, projects, extractivism, agribusiness, tourism and others that strengthen a capitalists model that affects natural resources and our means of employment here here, yeah, for real. And unfortunately, although they did beat Monsanto, which is still a huge, huge, historic win, the five for the Bees continues because on top of Mansanto, Mennonite farmers are also endangering the bees.

20:55 Fucking Mennonites. I knew there was something wrong with them, just like the Amish. Around ten thousand Metnonites lived throughout more than a dozen colonies in Campecha. Really the yeah, yeah, just like the fucking Mormons, but can invading in Mexico and shit these actually, I think this group left from like northern northern US and Canada into they started fleeing south, and I mean I didn't like Looganto the whole history of Yeah, I just know it started happening. I want to say, around the same time the Mormons were leaving, Are they pulling west two? No? I don't think so. Okay, okay, no, Now I'm wondering why they left. Interesting, you know, I read and I just didn't write it down. I mean, yeah, because it's like not pertinent to what your research. I'm just like wondering because I'm fascinated by high control religious groups. Okay, yes, and they live in like a very Amish way. Yeah. Yeah, it's not like the proper terms, right, but like little electricity.

21:55 They dress very like distinctly yeah, yes, and they speak a very distinct version of like German. H yeah. And then even in these communities today only the men speak this distinct German and Spanish, but most of the women and children, uh still only speak that. Like they're very isolated, right they only they only speak Spanish to conduct their farming business. But like other than that, it's like separate community from yeah. Yeah, actual, let's go yeah yeah. I now, I'm like I I wish I would have looked into the reason for the migration. Can't be good, is all?

22:36 I had to say no. Right, So, the Mennonites control a large amount of the farmland and they produce ninety percent of soybeans in this area. And b activists believe that the soy farmers are testing out new pesticides which continue to harm the land and the bees. Wow. Yeah, And also like oftentimes they I don't know the disparity between these menn Nite communities and the indigenous community, who are the indigenous people of this land? Like right, the money difference, Well, how the Mena Knits are able to purchase land and equipment, and you know a lot of times indigenous people rent their land because they can can't afford to have like the money for it, or they had to sell it to the Mennonites because they can't afford it themselves. But now these Mena Knights are coming in, yeah, stealing, I see what you're saying, you know what I mean? Yeah, Like they're picking up what you're putting down. Yeah yeah, basically imperilessm colonization, you know what I mean? Yeah? Yeah, yeah.

23:39 So yeah, the despite like their old customs and way of living, they're over here adopting like new bus sides to fry I guess, I guess that doesn't apply to making money, right right? Like what a what a just juxtaposition, you know, I think is how you use that? Just the position of it all, the echotomy of it all. Oh, yeah, that's what it is. Yeah, the economy of it all. And these bees travel up to five miles in search of food, and they encounter the mennonnit planes that are spraying the land with pesticides. My god, and like, don't you care? No, obviously not, but you should care about the land that you're living off of. The land will not be there forever if you keep spreading this harmful you know, shit on it. Yeah, you would think. And I will end this with some quotes from Lady Pitch.

24:45 Because they're beautiful. The bees signify a lot in my life. They are part of my story. They are part of my diet, part of my health, part of my livelihood. They are doing a very important job for us and for humanity. This is not seen. They pollinate our food, They pollinate the tree that we need for oxygen to breathe. It's life. Being a defender of my territory has come with risks for my life or my security. These are many interests that you come against. When you're defending everything is at risk. Our customs, are ways of life, our health, everything we have. Yeah, I just thought that was like the perfect note to end on. So very true. Yeah, like they had this historic once again against Manzanto, but the fight is it continues, to save the bees goes on. Yeah, and you know what, I'm scared of bees, but I want them to survive and thrive of course, for the world, for the environment. Yeah, for a lady bench, yes, and yeah, people are the same, yeah, same. I'm also scared of bees, yea, but yeah, I want them to thrive and survive because they're highly important to the world. And still come near me, but it likest thay over there. Please if you do come near me, just let me run away, please, Yeah, give me time to escape. They're not going to hurt you, I know, say that, but I ge't like people say that. Yeah. Yeah, my lid flips and I can't think anymore. When there's a bean here we no, I know, I've seen it.

26:13 Yeah happened, yes, but yeah, that concludes our series on Monsanto and Latin America. Wow, there's more that just didn't course. Yeah, for my mental. Wow, now I need to finish my notes. Oh my god, you fucking serious? Yes, I'm serious. The book is so long. I'm like sixty percent through it, dear God. Okay, well, maybe maybe i'll have the Chiapas Coca Cola episode before your fucking notes. Oh wait, sorry, no, we're announcing a two week break. Yeah I forgot about that. Then I will for sure be down when we come back. Okay, yeah, after today, we are taking two weeks off. We will come back like what the second week of January. Yeah, we can do that. Yeah, this is just a if Carmen time to write her damn notes. It's a holiday break. No, it is a holiday break. I'm visiting you. We don't have time to record. Yeah, but you know, maybe we'll have a Patreon episode throw out because i'd be fun to just quick she's message together. Yeah. So yeah, well you'll see us on Patreon. I'm also going to send out those months all my all the homies hate mon Sontal stickers for the Patreon members. Wait, but did we decide it if we should say all my homies hate Monnto?

27:29 Are all the homies hatement Santo? Well, the homie Mariah on Patreon. Oh, she decided we ask people. Okay, yes, she said it should be all the homies like that. Okay, gotcha, you're right. Nobody fell to me, and but that's fine. I did not feel you in No, you could check the Patreon too, bitch. I forget. You could also chip the email because it would also tell you in the email. Okay, stop, I didn't ask for this. I just wanted to talking me. Yeah. I wanted to attack you, but I didn't want it in return, you know. Okay, yeah, yeah, I'm not surprised, but okay, I'm excited. I want a sticker too. Also, okay, I have one for you. They're already printed. Oh oh already. Wow.

28:16 I thought I mailed one to you, but I guess not. Probably not. No, I thought I did it, but I guess, like, I don't know, I printed it, but I didn't do. Okay anyway, Well, if anyone's interested in becoming a Patreon, you'll get a sticker, yes, a sticker of our logo podcast logo, but also the Monsanto all the homies, hey Monsanto okay, and then also we do bonus episodes over there. There's two tiers. Again, I forgot the prices, but those tiers both get shout outs, so Mariah, Michelle and Chata. And then we have free members JG Desiree, Cecia Aliana awesome shout out to all of our members. As free members, you get to see the random posts that I do that are public for everyone, so like our bingo our Bingo card is there. Oh, I've been wanting to post time and I keep forgetting you keep forgetting to post everything.

29:14 So yeah. Also I think occasionally we can also post like reading lists like that, all the books we've talked about. We could probably add that to Patreon as well, like as a free post type thing. Oh yeah, and yeah, as like paid members, you get the ad free episodes and then our bonus episodes, which we just like cheese. We just like chase mad and that's not proper, but we just like to cheese maud. We just chease. Yeah. Yeah, Oh you're talking about what we do. Yeah, what's over there? Yeah yeah, yeah, it's a lot of fun. I love like talking about sixtongue gossip, but it's a lot of work to do as like a separate type of podcast, so I know, yeah, I remember when we did it, we were like oh right, well we were getting attacked. Yeah, yeah, yep, man. Yeah.

30:02 I also like to look at Latin American news headlines and do that as well, just because I normally keep up today on these things, and we should, we should, we should said that one time, news today is tomorrow's history. I'm like say that again. News news today is tomorrow's history. News today. Yeah, last time you said it, it sounded a lot worse. It was very convoluted and a mess, like me, So yeah, I like that. So yeah, today is break after this, and then you'll see us on patron paid members for sure. Yeah. And yeah, other than that, celebrate Philly.

30:45 See that. I want to wish you were Christmas. Stop seeing it after me. You're ruined you sorry, sorry from the Okay, that's it, Oh all right, I didn't you keep going Okay, but yeah, I'm happy, Holida Days, Happy New Year. Thanks everyone who rated us four stars and up on Spotify. Yes, thank you, and yeah, we hope that this was one last historia unknown for you. Bye bye