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The Polish farmers protest against a government sell-off of farmland to multinational corporations is now in its 5th week in Zachodniopomorskie region of Poland and is spreading to other Provinces.

Farmers have blocked the entrance to the Office of an Agricultural Property Agency in the town of Szczecin using tractors to seal off neighboring streets.

The Polish farmers protest is taking place due to government actions to sell the land which is still in their hands but is in use by Polish farmers. The farmers wish to purchase the land for the continuation of their farming enterprises rather than see it sold off to outside interests at highly inflated prices which they are unable to pay.

EU Sanctioned GMO Zones Threaten Polish Farmers

This land-sale process links into the Polish government’s recently established “Seeds Act”.  This Act conforms Poland to European Union (EU) regulations concerning the ‘free trade’ of GM seeds within the Country. This EU edict also requires that the Country establishes special “GMO Designated Zones” for the commercial planting of GM seeds.

On the 28th December 2012, the Polish government declared that passing the “Seeds Act” would make it possible to now ‘ban’ GM seed planting in Poland. However, it did not state that the Act, while prohibiting planting of GM seeds, allows the ‘trading’ of these same seeds.

The land which the government is opening for multinational corporations to purchase can be used by these corporations for the commercial planting and production of GM products in the heart of the Polish countryside. This would satisfy the conditions outlined by the EU for the planting of GM crops in ‘special designated’ areas.