While the federal government has been busy stomping out consumer and states’ rights to labels on GMO foods, federal judges have been mulling over a plea by Monsanto and friends to overturn public safety laws in three Hawaii counties.

Investigative journalist Jonathan Greenberg calls it the Monsanto Doctrine of preemption:

Simply put, the Monsanto Doctrine is the right of agrochemical corporations to spray unlimited quantities of industrial poisons regardless of any local law passed to protect human or environmental safety. If it is upheld by the federal Appeals Court, then local governments around the country will be rendered powerless to protect its citizens’ basic civil right to health and safety.

Progressive Source, a public interest communications company run by Greenberg, created a short video to tell the story of how agrochemical companies are running roughshod over the rights of Hawaii citizens. The company also produced a longer video, which shows testimony from the actual court hearing.

Watch the short video 

Watch the video