Protesters march against agrichemicals

More than 3,000 people have taken to the streets in Switzerland as part of worldwide protests against agrichemical companies. Demonstrators marched from Basel’s city centre to the headquarters of agribusiness group Syngenta which produces chemicals and seeds. The protestors called on the Swiss government to ensure that multinational companies respect the right to food. China’s state-run ChemChina has offered to purchase the company for $43 billion (CHF42.6 million). The organisers say the aim of the protest is to promote global awareness over the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and cancer-linked herbicides in the food supply. About 50 organisations and leftwing political parties from Switzerland, neighouring France and Germany supported the march. Police banned tractors from the protest. In Morges on Lake Geneva, about 1,200 people gathered outside the European headquarters of the United States multinational agrichemical company Monsanto. Annual ...