A story of courage -fighting against pesticide poisoning

Mother takes on Monsanto, wins global environmental prize

Wed Apr 18, 2012 3:36 am (PDT) Courageous mother honored with Goldman Prize A mother's courage Sofía Gatica took on Monsanto to protect her family & community. Help us share this courageous mother's powerful story. Ms. Sofía Gatica is a mother of three from a small rural community in Argentina. Thirteen years ago, her newborn died after being exposed to pesticides in the womb. Tapping strength she didn't know she had, she turned her family's tragedy into a grassroots movement to protect children in her community and beyond. Over the past decade, Sofía has taken on powerful pesticide industry interests - including Monsanto. And she's winning. Share Sofía's story» We're deeply pleased to announce that today, in honor of her ongoing work, Sofía is receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize, the world's largest prize for grassroots environmentalists. Please help us share her story. When Sofía lost her newborn, she soon realized that such losses were all-too-common in her small community of Ituzaingó Annex. Aerial spraying with Monsanto's herbicide RoundUp had climbed dramatically in the region as the number of acres planted with the company's "RoundUp Ready" soy crops grew. Sofía and other concerned mothers went door to door collecting stories about health problems in each family - basically conducting the community's first-ever epidemiological study. "The Mothers of Ituzaingó" discovered the community's cancer rate to be 41 times the national average, and rates of neurological problems, respiratory diseases and infant mortality were astonishingly high. In response, the mothers launched a "Stop the Spraying!" campaign. Their efforts bore fruit. In 2008, Argentina's president ordered an investigation of the health impacts of pesticides in Ituzaingó Annex; the resulting study corroborated Sofía's door-to-door research. The Mothers of Ituzaingó then won a municipal "buffer zone" ordinance, prohibiting aerial spraying less than 2,500 meters from residences. Despite few resources and real threats - including being held at gunpoint in her own home - Sofía and the Mothers of Ituzaingó are now working to expand protections to families across the country. Help us honor Sofía's courage» Each year since 1989, the Goldman Prize has honored grassroots leaders across the globe, unsung heroes who are campaigning for environmental justice and sustainability in their communities. PAN was asked by Goldman to host Sofía and help spread the word about her work. We are honored to do so. Please join us! Pesticide Action Network North America 49 Powell St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA Phone: (415) 981-1771 Fax: (415) 981-1991 Email: panna@panna.org Web:www.panna.org