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There's a story going about Facebook that claims that the United States is forcing El Salvador to use Monsanto's seeds if they want foreign aid through the Millenium Challenge program.

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The U.S. Government Has Tied El Salvador $277 million Aid Package to Monsanto’s GMO Seeds. In recent weeks, the U.S. has been pushing the El Salvadoran Government to sign the second Millennium Challenge Compact. One of the main conditions on the agreement is allegedly for the purchasing of GM seeds from Monsanto. At the end of 2013 it was announced that without ‘specific’ economic and environmental policy reforms, the U.S. government would not provide El Salvador with $277 million in aid money through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). It is now clear that by ‘specific reforms’ the MCC means reforms that allow GM crops and their associated pesticides to be forced on El Salvador’s Government and citizens. Is it a coincidence that the MCC delayed its initial agreed aid payments following the announcement by the El Salvador Government that they were banning the use of Glyphosate (Roundup) and 52 other dangerous chemicals in September 2013? Is it a coincidence that the glyphosate ban was overturned?

Contact the USTR at "stakeholder inquiries" at [email protected] and call the America´s office at 202-395-6135 to voice your outrage.

READ: http://sustainablepulse.com/2014/06/08/u-s-government-ties-el-salvador-usd-277-m-aid-package-monsantos-gmo-seeds/#.U5R2IpRdUXg

READ: http://vivaecoviva.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/seed-sovereignty-remains-a-contentious-issue-in-el-salvador/

I'll admit that I'm skeptical. The best I can find is one Salvadoran official claiming that he's being pressured by U.S. officials, several news articles talking about the "alleged" requirement, and one article stating that the bone of contention is over current Salvadoran laws giving priority to local seeds to the exemption of imported seed.

They're quoting the bit about Roundup being linked to kidney disease, which we've apparently discussed in Does Roundup (glyphosate) cause kidney disease in farmers?.

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These articles have a substantial amount of false information about the situation. A press release was issued by the US Embassy in El Salvador: http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/news/2014/06/19.html

Is the United States government pressuring El Salvador to purchase genetically modified (GMO) seeds from U.S. agricultural companies?

  • No. The U.S. government concern with the Ministry of Agriculture’s procurement program is completely unrelated to the purchase of genetically modified seeds. Any rumor to the contrary is false.

  • The interest of the United States with respect to the seed procurement program is in ensuring that El Salvador complies with its obligations under CAFTA-DR, to signal that El Salvador fosters an investment climate that respects international commitments.

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    Welcome to Skeptics! Can you quote a relevant passage from the link into your answer? Some day, the link may die, and then we won't have any way to tell what this answer was saying.
    – Bobson
    Jun 25, 2014 at 14:39
  • Ah. Thank you. Now, I have something to reply with. Jun 25, 2014 at 18:27

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