Abbotsford residents will gather to March Against Monsanto on Saturday, as part of event across the globe to raise awareness about the controversial company.
Abbotsford's march will begin at Mill Lake at 11 a.m., near the entrance by the Sevenoaks Shopping Centre, at 32900 South Fraser Way. The group will march down South Fraser Way to City Hall and back again.
The march is one of many across the world. A press release from the March Against Monsanto global organizers stated that marches are planned on six continents, in 36 countries and in over 250 cities.
Katie Siegrist, organizer of the the Abbotsford march, said that after the birth of her daughter 17 months ago, she became interested in eating healthy. She learned about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and the effect they have on people.
"GMOs are actually really hurting our bodies, and so we're trying to bring awareness that its very bad for us."
Monsanto is a corporation that produces crop seeds and GMOs. The company's website says that they help farmers by "selling seeds, traits developed through biotechnology, and crop protection chemicals."
Siegrist said Monsanto creates genetically modified corn, canola, soy, sugar and papaya and that GMOs are used in almost in about 80 per cent of the processed foods.
"Anything in a box is pretty much GMO because everything has corn syrup in it."
Siegrist hopes the march will help raise awareness about companies like Monsanto that create GMOs.
"It affects all of us. It affects our environment. It's destroying our ecosystem."
For more information about the March Against Monsanto, visit www.march-against-monsanto.com or the Abbotsford march's Facebook page.